In the eyes of nurse Mildred Ratched, the best way to treat rogue mental institution patients is to constantly assert dominance. And if that doesn’t work, slice out some of their brains.

The stage adaption of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” a novel by Ken Kesey, follows the story of Randle P. McMurphy as he fakes insanity to live out his sentence in a mental institution in the 1960s. The show will take place this weekend and next at Jones Theatre in Daggy Hall.

Despite his adversary, the ferocious nurse Ratched, armed with electroshock and lobotomy treatments, McMurphy leads his fellow patients through a life-altering journey.

“It shows friendship is a strong bond no matter how short the time you spend with someone,” said Aspen Garner, a freshman studying psychology and the stage manager for the show.

During McMurphy’s time in the institution, he assists the other patients in stepping away from their introversion. He also holds a revolt for their right to watch the World Series on TV and arranges for a late-night party with liquor and a test of wills.

One of these tests changes patient Billy Bibbit, who speaks with a terrible stutter until he loses his virginity to McMurphy’s prostitute friend Candy Starr, played by sophomore hospitality and business management major Taylor Coty.

“Plot-wise, this is one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done,” Coty said. “The complexity of the plot and the way the characters interact with each other is so real.”

Coty said becoming her character involved looking at the different, free-spirited side of Candy rather than the fact that is a prostitute. She said she found adapting to Candy was really fun even through some of the awkward parts such as the kiss between her and McMurphy’s actor.

“It took two or three weeks before he would kiss me correctly without feeling awkward or apologizing,” Coty said.

Garner said her favorite part of the show is the scene when the cast is watching baseball. In the high-energy and fun scene, there is a clear defiance against nurse Ratched while also showing the trust the men have in one another.

However, the friction with Ratched later results in a physical and violent fight between the nurse and McMurphy. The difficulty was how to choreograph the confrontation so the actors don’t hurt each other.

When working on the technical aspects of the show, Garner said the lighting design is unique in that a variety of colors are used to indicate an internal monologue or show passage of time such as day into night. This is beneficial for both the audience and the actors onstage.

“It gives clear indications to what will happen next and the actors have more prompt enter and exit cues,” Garner said.

One such example of the interesting light and sound setup is the scene in which McMurphy receives electroshock therapy. The lights take on a strobe-like feel, becoming more vibrant against the grayscale coloring of the set, Coty said.

“I got chills (from) the way he looked so pained,” Coty said. “Without the lights and the sound, the show wouldn’t be nearly as intense.”

As an actor, Coty said the cast is her favorite part of being in the show. Because the show has its extra layers of intensity and the fact that it is so ensemble-based, the cast is tightly knit and takes on a family feel.

“The most interesting part of the show is how quickly the cast bonded with each other,” Garner said. “They are truly a family now instead of just a bunch of actors reading lines.”

As a forewarning, this production contains strong language and mild adult themes.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” will show at Jones Theatre in Daggy Hall April 3 – 4 and 10 – 11, including performances during Mom’s Weekend. Show times are 7:30 p.m. nightly with additional 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays.