Student Orientation and Transition Programs will host auditions for an original musical about the first-year experience at Penn State from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, March 25 in 119 Theatre Building. The musical will be presented to new students at their orientations starting this summer.

The show, tentatively named Welcome to Penn State: The Musical, will be a thirty-minute sketch comedy musical featuring six Penn State students. The position is paid and rehearsals and performances will take place in mid-June and mid-August.

As is fitting, the musical is a true Penn State passion project: composed by student Caleb Smith, directed by assistant professor of theatre Austin Eyer, and funded by the student fee, the Equal Opportunity Planning Committee, the Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design, and Student Orientation and Transition Programs. New York-based writer and comedian Dave Mizzoni wrote the show.

Dan Murphy, director of Student Orientation and Transition Programs and State College Borough councilman, says he hopes the “interactive theatre project” will help better engage new students.

“We are really optimistic that this…will help enhance the conversations we have with new students about alcohol and drug use and abuse, diversity, equity, inclusion, sexual assault, prevention, reporting resources, and bystander intervention,” he said in an e-mail.

Anyone who wants to audition should prepare one short, original song, sketch, poem, or dance piece and any genre of second song, original or not. Those who play musical instruments are encouraged to include them in their audition. Once initial auditions end, performers will be asked to return for the workshop portion, in which groups will present short sketches based on prompts. Students should email director Austin Eyer to set up a time to audition time on March 25.