The "Real" College Experience: Alums Tape Sitcom Pilot on Assumption's Campus

August, 2005—If luck shines upon Class of 2000 alums Kevin Luperchio, Chris Nicoletti, and Matt Zannelli, Assumption’s campus will be the backdrop of a hilarious new television series chronicling the “true” college experience.

The three former roommates collaborated to create a pilot for an as-yet-untitled sitcom based on collegiate life, and are now bringing their dream to fruition on Assumption’s campus. They have transformed two Living/Learning Center apartments into television sets, with unmade bunk beds, rock posters, and mountains of dirty laundry serving as authentic “college” props. Shooting will take place over the course of six days, and then the trio will complete post-production tasks, turning the material into a sample that will hopefully catch the eyes of studio executives in Los Angeles.

Over the past few months, they carefully selected from a pool of local hopefuls—college students and theatre enthusiasts—to round out the cast and crew, which includes two more Greyhounds: costume designer Tara Fountain '08 and supporting actress Stephanie Hackler '05. The producers were looking for actors who embodied the qualities and the energy of their characters, but who also brought something new to those roles. After many days of auditions, which were held at Assumption, they chose their talented, hard-working, and extremely dedicated cast, who so strongly believed in the success of this pilot that they have volunteered to act simply for credits, not monetary compensation. Although many of the participants are amateurs, director and writer Luperchio is thrilled with their work so far.

“Based on what we’ve seen, if you can get everyone motivated and interested, you can do great things despite a lack of professional experience,” he said.

Production expert Nicoletti, who holds a master’s degree in film from Emerson College, agreed. “During the first day of shooting, everyone gelled,” he said. “There’s excellent chemistry between the lead actors.”

The four main characters, a quartet of male roommates, encompass a variety of college student stereotypes. Steve is the “golden boy,” an upstanding young gentleman and excellent student who’s neat, organized, and hardworking when he’s not using all of his cell-phone minutes calling his long-distance girlfriend. He also serves as a father figure to his roommates. Jesse is the quintessential party dude—fun, social, and crazy. Studying comes second to partying in his eyes. The other two, Monroe and Ryan, are “two peas in a pod,” according to Nicoletti: nerdy, shy, awkward, and socially inept. Monroe serves as a mouthpiece for tiny, quiet Ryan, who only tends to speak around his buddy. Think of them as a geekier (and less profane) Jay and Silent Bob. The cast is rounded out by a few female characters: Alex, “one of the guys,” a cute, bubbly girl who mutually laments her single status with her equally lonely male friends without realizing the irony of their situation, and Katie, an attractive upperclasswoman who maintains a flirtation with Steve despite their couplings with off-campus significant others.

Luperchio tried to make the sitcom unique by eschewing “unrealistic” college antics and focusing more on true-to-life situations.

“We start the first episode with a wild party sequence—loud music, dancing, and girls in bikinis—and then it cuts away to two guys playing video games on a Saturday night,” he says. “This was our way of showing what really goes on in college. [In movies and other shows about college] they show a lot of unrealistic things about college that never really happen.”

“We’re trying to move away from [depictions in movies like] Animal House and Van Wilder,” adds Nicoletti.

The alums' close friendship has bolstered this project, according to Zannelli. "The three of us have close sensibilities when it comes to writing and comedy," he says. "[We] work well together."

During a recent rehearsal, the cast and crew worked together seamlessly, offering helpful suggestions and aiding each other despite a killer schedule of 10-hour days.

"It's been a lot of work, but it's going pretty well," said Zannelli. "We've developed these characters together, and the actors are doing great—when I hear them deliver the lines, I think 'Wow...this is exactly how I pictured [the characters] in my head."

The trio credits their alma mater for making their dream a reality.

“Assumption’s been great from the start,” said Luperchio. “Business Services has made all of the room arrangements, the Media Center has lent us their equipment…with a budget of exactly zero dollars, it wouldn’t have been feasible without their help.”

Should the sitcom become a hit, it won’t be for its action-packed scenes or crazy premises. The producers have focused more on fully developing the show’s characters, hoping to win over audiences that way.

“If we can make people care about these characters, then we’ve done our job,” says Nicoletti.

“I think if this show ever makes it, it will have a rabid cult following,” laughs Luperchio. “But it would hopefully extend beyond college kids and twentysomethings to a wider audience.”