The Wellesley Players are proud to announce that Newton resident Tom Shoemaker will play Billy Bibbitt for their upcoming production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  He is also the fight choreographer for the play.

With performances on November 19 through 21 at the Sorensen Center for the Arts at Babson College in Wellesley, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is the story of several inmates of a mental institution and their opportunities to overcome their disabilities and free themselves of their psychological burdens. 

In this stage adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel, an inmate plans to spend a short sentence in the institution rather than on a work farm. Meanwhile, he befriends his fellow inmates, helping some of them to overcome their problems in ways that the medical profession couldn't. This new camaraderie between the inmates causes them to revolt, throwing a midnight party.  This does not sit well with the head nurse, who will not stand for any challenge to her authority.  

Director JulieAnn Charest Govang said of the production, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is the sometimes funny, sometimes touching, sometimes tragic story of a group of men unable to handle life outside institutional walls...and yet in each and every one of the inmates, everyone will surely see a bit of themselves personified. I cannot read, watch or hear this story without my heart being pulled at, tugged on and broken - every time."

Performances will take place at the Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson College, 231 Forest St., Wellesley, on Friday and Saturday, November 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, November 21 at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $19 for adults and $17 for seniors and students.  Tickets can be purchased online or by mail.

Since the play has strong language and adult situations, the production is recommended for audiences ages sixteen and up (Rated R).