Between rehearsals, assistant director, actor, public relations officer for the play ... (and student) Monisha Mirchandani gives Notes a preview

What is this play all about?
This grim satire is set in a mental institution and tells the story of a maverick con man, who pleads insanity to avoid going to prison. He develops a bond with the other patients and soon challenges the dictatorial Nurse Ratched, irrevocably altering the destiny of those in the ward but not before paying dearly for his individualism.

Why this play?
Each year we do plays of different genres and so far we have done romance, comedy, drama, a murder mystery and this time we picked a satirical comedy because it has great entertainment value and because it is a genre we haven't attempted before.

Theatre on campus
We are currently doing amateur theatre but we aim to be as professional as possible. With each play at AUD we are raising the bar and taking theatre to a whole new level.

All you need to know
The Troupe, the official drama club of the American University in Dubai presents the Dale Wasserman adaptation of the classic novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. All proceeds will go to the Dubai Centre for Special Needs.

Tickets: For students, a discounted rate of Dh30 on a Dh50 VIP ticket; Dh15 for a Dh30 regular ticket. Get them at the DVD Cafe, Building No. 6, Dubai Internet City; online at Timeout Ticketline and at the door. Or email troupe_aud@yahoo.com

Challenges we faced?

  • The biggest challenge is balancing college work and social lives with the play.
  • Practices are intensive and time-consuming and require a high level of commitment.
  • Finding sponsors to support us is a huge challenge. Sponsoring events like ours is an opportunity for companies to gain publicity and target the youth of Dubai and there are numerous benefits associated with that. However, finding sponsors requires time and persistence. We want to thank our sponsors; without them it wouldn't be possible to stage the play.

Students behind the production

  • Director: Gautam Goenka
  • Assistant directors: Pranshuta Lele, Marisha Gandhi, Monisha Mirchandani
  • The cast:
  • McMurphy: Sanjay Keshup
  • Nurse Ratched: Marisha Gandhi
  • Harding: Gautam Goenka
  • Chief Bromden: Mohammad Al Sudairy
  • Cheswick: Ahmad Al Falasi
  • Billy: Abdul Sami Tariq 
  • Scanlon: Humair Khan
  • Martini: Sanad Karkar
  • Ruckley: Vaibhav Varma
  • Nurse Flinn: Pranshuta Lele
  • Dr Spivey: Monisha Mirchandani
  • Aide Warren: Hamza Badi Uz Zaman
  • Aide Williams: Zeeshan Ali Merchant
  • Sandra: Irene Baghdadi
  • Candy Starr: Harsha Khubchandani
  • Aide Truckle: Altamash Urooj