Media Credit: Courtesy The local loggers mull their options when the Stamper clan ignores a union strike in "Sometimes a Great Notion"

Media Credit: Courtesy

From his infamous bus trip with the Merry Pranksters to his lasting contributions to the literary scene, Ken Kesey is an Oregon legend.

One theater company is honoring Kesey and his legacy with a production adapted from one of his many books.

Portland Center Stage is presenting the world premiere of "Sometimes a Great Notion," directed and adapted by Aaron Posner.

Posner, a native of Eugene, is currently the artistic director of the Two River Theater in Red Bank, N.J. He was also the founding artist director of the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia.

Posner met with Kesey several years ago to receive special permission to adapt the novel.

"Sometimes a Great Notion" is not the first novel that Posner has tailored to the stage.

He also adapted "Who am I This Time?" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., "What Ho Jeeves" by P.G. Wodehouse, "The Brothers K." by Fyodor Dostoevsky and "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" by David Foster Wallace.

According to a press release, Posner said the Portland Center Stage is the perfect place to premiere this play.

Kesey wrote "Sometimes a Great Notion" while living in a small logging town in California.



The novel follows the Stamper family, who owns a logging business in Oregon.

Tension arises when the town's loggers decide to go on strike and the Stamper family continues to work.

The book was chosen as one of the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission's top 100 Oregon books.

"Sometimes a Great Notion" was also made into a 1972 film starring Paul Newman and Henry Fonda.

The film received two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Song.

In its latest incarnation, the play has received such great reviews that Portland Center Stage has extended it twice.

In a press release, the company said it's delighted to announce yet another extension of the production.

Production manager Tom Haygood said, "It's really wonderful to see a world premiere performance find such a large and supportive audience."

"Sometimes a Great Notion" will run until May 10.

treagan@dailyemerald.com

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