The Hinman Production Company is arguably one of Binghamton University’s most well-known, entirely student-run production companies. Each semester, the HPC performs both a straight show and a musical, and this musical comes on the heels of this semester’s successful performance of “Harvey.” The HPC will be premiering its musical, “The Obvious Struggles of the Underaged,” this weekend on Dec. 2, 3 and 4.

“The Obvious Struggles of the Underaged” follows two freshmen at Ohio State University, Connor and Adelaide, as they begin their college lives and navigate through their fall semester. It is a unique spin on a classic coming-of-age story, as the two protagonists and their friends and classmates learn what it is like to live in the real world and mature from children to adults.

The true-to-life story will hit close to home for many, if not all, college students, and it should; the show’s original script and music were written and directed by Corey Eschbach. Eschbach, a senior majoring in bioengineering, took much of the show’s plot from his college life.

“My experiences at Binghamton University are the true inspiration for this show,” he said. “It emphasized the struggles most students face when they get to college. Most, if not all, take place outside of the classroom.”

While he has been composing music for four years, this is the first musical Eschbach has written and developed purely from his own original music.

“I started writing this after one of my friends mentioned that my music sounded a little like Broadway. So I created a plot around pre-existing songs, adding a few to tie up the plot,” Eschbach said.

The journey from the conception of the idea to the actual production of the musical took exactly 10 months.

While bioengineering is not the first path of study one would tie to a playwright, Eschbach said his educational background was his greatest aid in writing.

“The countless reports and presentations allowed me to believe in myself and use good communication skills,” Eschbach explained. “I could see this show as a possibility because a 54-page script is a breeze compared to a [100-plus] page report.”

After he graduates in May 2011, Eschbach plans to receive his MBA in bioengineering in 2012. As far as career paths go, he is unsure of what he will do, but is positive he will never abandon his passion.

“You can guarantee, I’ll never leave my music,” he said.

“The Obvious Struggles of the Underaged” will be performed at 8 p.m. tonight and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday in the Hinman Commons. Tickets will be sold for $5 at the door. The show stars undeclared freshmen Jennifer Brogna as Adelaide and Mathew Pereira, a freshman majoring in biology, as Connor.