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Rachel Roth and Anthony Reynolds perform a scene from “Friends of Frank,” a play that

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Fourth-year communication studies student Sandra Mucke produced “Friends with Frank.”

How does someone become a producer?

“I’ve had no direction and no guide. It’s been, ‘Get your feet wet and jump into it,’” Sandra Mucke said about her recent first experience as a producer.

Mucke, a fourth-year communication studies student, has just finished producing her first major play, “Friends with Frank,” at the Stella Adler Theater. Lacking any formal training, Mucke’s reverence for theater and support from the cast have pushed her to pull the independent production together.

Although Mucke now plans to pursue a future in producing, in a way this opportunity found her. Last fall, two of Mucke’s friends, Tyler McGee and Cameron Fife, wrote and produced “The Hollywood Dream.” Impressed with their work, she offered to help with any future project.

“They referred me to Troy (Presha) to help him out as production manager and co-producer. That is how I got involved in everything,” she said. “I read the script and fell in love with it.”

“Friends with Frank” is a historical fiction dramedy about shooting the film “On the Waterfront” in Hoboken, N.J. The play tells the story of how Marlon Brando originally turned down the role of dock worker Terry Malloy because he disagreed with director Elia Kazan’s decision to reveal the names of Communist Party members to Congress. Frank Sinatra was offered the part but quickly lost it when Brando changed his mind.

“(Presha) took this story about how two “Waterfont” location scouts had to come to Hoboken and get all the people on their side so they could film this movie because it is Frankie’s hometown,” said Mucke.

As Mucke sat on the Ackerman patio, talking about Brando, Sinatra and the challenges of theater in Los Angeles, it was easy to forget that Mucke is still a student who happens to be putting on a play. In fact, she herself seemed a little surprised by her accomplishments with the project.

Even though she acted in a few plays in high school, Mucke’s main connection to theater was through her many friends involved in it. It was her desire to help them out that lured her into producing the play, and now, start her own production company.

“There is me, Troy, the director, Brandon (Schiffman), the co-producer, and the three of us together make up 19 Gypsy Productions. There is a tripod of people involved in the production, and we are now looking ahead. We want to move now toward film,” said Mucke.

With graduation approaching, Mucke appeared free of nerves and full of goals as she talked about looking forward to future production projects. 19 Gypsy Productions hopes to develop Presha’s other plays, “Serving Hitchcock” and “Brother’s Keeper,” which are grouped with “Friends of Frank” to complete a trilogy of historical fiction plays about film.

Although she appears completely calm and confident about the plays, Mucke admits that even with a strong support system of friends and family, there is no guarantee that independent theater will work.

“To put on a play has been difficult because it is not as popular as film in a city that is run by the film industry. It is really hard to get people to appreciate theater here, as opposed to other places like New York and San Francisco, where theater runs the town,” she said.

Whatever challenges Los Angeles may present, Mucke is determined to keep them from interfering with her plans. After this first run, she has the business savvy and organization to keep going with 19 Gypsy Productions and her newfound, as she describes it, labor of love.

“When you’re passionate about something and you’re surrounded by a group of people that are passionate about it, that motivates you,” she said. “It is definitely something I will always do.”