With the notable exception of Steven Soderbergh’s brief layover in Columbus for his 2000 smash “Traffic,” Columbus has rarely been caught on screen.
On Wednesday “As the World Turns” changed that by including Ohio State on its 10-campus “Catch Us If You Can” tour.
Christopher Goutman, executive producer of the soap, who also directed the segments shot at OSU, said he wanted to take a few of Oakdale’s younger residents on the road to shoot on location.
“The kids who are on the run are trying to escape from the law, so they’re hiding in plain sight,” he said. “They’re hiding where they can blend in, so we thought college campuses were perfect.”
The three teens on the run are Lucy Montgomery (played by Peyton List), her boyfriend Aaron Snyder (Agim Kaba) and her best friend Alison Stewart (Jessica Dunphy).
Dunphy said the story sprung from Agim’s character Aaron being falsely accused of arson, so the three escape to 10 campuses in an attempt to outrun the law.
In addition to these cast members, the show auditioned more than 500 Columbus-area residents on Sept. 11 to fill five other speaking parts for the show.
The students selected for the speaking parts on the show are Amy Culbertson, a senior in political scienc; Jerry Baxtron, a senior in finance; Melissa Loprire, a junior in fashion merchandising; Matt Barnes, a senior in photography; and Chris Ramsey, a junior in architecture.
Culbertson, who plays Sandy, said she auditioned as a chance to gain some exposure on national television, instead of being limited to local acting jobs.
“I just always had an interest in acting, so basically it’s something different since we don’t get a lot of television and movies around here,” she said.
Alan Locher, spokesman for the show, said the trip was heading to areas “As the World Turns” does well in to get viewers even more excited about the soap.
“Our executive producer Chris Goutman wanted to take the show on the road to college campuses,” he said.
“If you’re going to bring your show out on the road, bring it where the fans are going to come out and see us and where they’re going to enjoy getting the opportunity to come out and audition for it.”
Although the storyline focuses on the escape, Culbertson said the script included a little OSU legend as well. One of her scenes shot on the Oval includes a conversation with the “Oakdale Three,” in which she provides a local way for Lucy and Aaron to prove their love.
“Basically, I get to talk about the OSU long walk tradition,” she said.
In the scene, Lucy and Aaron walk hand-in-hand down the middle of the Oval, supposedly from one end to the other, meaning they will be in love forever.
“As the World Turns” airs on CBS at 2 p.m. weekdays. The episodes featuring the OSU segments will air during the first week of November.
