The director should have informed people at tryouts that the role required nudity, but afaik it's not that uncommon. Besides that, I don't see the problem. Actors and actresses get cast for physical traits all the time, I don't see how this is any different as long as there's more to the performance (and there obviously is here). That's not exploiting, that's just how performance arts work.
Your friend needs to decided if potential embarassment and "people talking about her" are worth taking the part. She seems to have decided that it is worth it without any coercsion. To me that is plenty good enough. College freshman can make their own decisions.
Lastly I think JennyNM is blowing the potential problems of embarrassment and "people talking about her" way out of proportion. Many people, especially people with beautiful bodies as your friend seems to have, find that being naked in a socially acceptable situation is rather liberating. She obviously has no reason to be embarrassed, although if she does feel that way it is understandable. But only she can decide that. As for people talking about her, this would be a good point 40 years ago, but society has changed a lot. Almost nobody I know would think of less of someone for taking a nude part in a play, and the few prudes I do know that might feel this way aren't worth caring about.
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