“I was really excited to get this role,” Piper said. “It’s something very different from what I’ve played before.”

The show, which is a developmental workshop, focuses on the life of Mark Hunter, an angsty high school student who recently transferred to a new school. Hunter creates his own pirate radio station in which he takes calls from listeners and speaks up for his generation by discussing issues it is faced with.

“It’s something that really relates to everyone — no matter what age,” he said. “It’s about trying to understand who you are and being OK with that and communicating that with others.”

As a developmental workshop, this show allows those involved the chance to rework the piece throughout the rehearsal process by adding or deleting scenes as they see fit.

Just a few days ago, Piper said a new scene was added in which he has a major role, and he has to perfect those lines before showtime.

“It can be scary as an actor getting to the week of performance and having this shift around, but it’s also a great experience to keep us on our toes,” he said.

To help students with the production, a director and two writers who work professionally in New York City came to campus.

“It’s really exciting … making the connections with the writers we have,” theatre sophomore Brittany Nicol said.

Dave Solomon, the play’s director and a guest artist in residence at MSU, said developing a new work, such as “Pump Up the Volume,” is a rare opportunity students should take advantage of.

“It’s a great thing for the Michigan State students because so often in college you’re doing previously worked plays,” he said. “They have input into the dialogue and music (in this production).”

Nicol, who plays Paige in the show, said participating in a developmental workshop acts as practice for what she will be doing in the industry after graduation.

“It’s awesome because it’s preparing all of us for getting into the real world,” she said.

If everything goes well this weekend, Piper said the play could be turned into a professional show later on, which could be performed on Broadway or as an Off-Broadway play.

“We have a hand in shaping this new work into what it will become later down the road,” he said. “This is just one step to making it a full-out production.”

Piper said he looks forward to running through the finished product in its entirety and seeing the crowd’s reaction.

“It’s so rare that people get to see a developed work done on campus,” he said. “It’s really great that we get to share this experience with an audience.”