It’s Felicity meets The Sopranos.The cast of the radio-TV-film student-led production, “Southern Comforts,” was chosen after more than 100 students auditioned for a part, professor Richard Allen said.

He said the soap opera will be filmed and aired next semester.

Allen said 16 students were cast in the main roles of the soap opera, including three freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and seven seniors. Though the majority of the students are RTVF or theatre majors, the cast also includes a broadcast journalism major and a biology major, he said.

Curtis Shideler, a senior RTVF major, was one of two students who wrote the script and will also be acting in the production.

“We have been writing for a long time, but it feels like such a privilege to be one of the people that get to turn this vision into a reality,” he said.

Another senior who was cast, Aaron Kirby, described how he relates to his character.

“I’ll be playing Vincent, the youngest son of the local mob boss and ladies man extraordinaire,” Kirby, a theater major, said. “I’m not sure I’m much of a ladies man, but hopefully I’ll be able to infuse some of my energy and charisma into the character,” he said.

With such a great response at auditions, Allen said many students who could have been cast weren’t. He said the talented students that didn’t get one of the 16 parts will have a chance to play a one-time role or cameo in an episode.

Filming will begin by early February, and the first episode should air on Tager TV Channel 40 on the TCU campus before Spring Break.

Matt Rubenstein, who is playing the part of a son of a mobster, is excited about the airing of the show.

“I really believe that this project will help my career in some way or another,” Rubenstein, a RTVF major, said. “That’s the thing about show business – you never know what a given project will lead to,” he said, “even a humble college soap opera.”

Allen said he and the other faculty and students who are working on the production are excited about the potential for success, but more importantly, are anxious to see what might go wrong. The mistakes, he said, are what teach the students life-long lessons about the business.

“We are interested to see how this group of students will rise to the occasion and face any difficulties,” Allen said.

Allen said a soap opera completely written, directed, produced, designed and acted out by students will be exciting but will also be an invaluable learning opportunity.

“How we get there will be the fun part,” he said.