Academy and four-time Emmy Award winner Aaron Sorkin (鈥淭he Social Network,鈥� 鈥淭he West Wing,鈥� Broadway鈥檚 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird鈥�) will join Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth (鈥淵ou鈥檙e A Good Man, Charlie Brown,鈥� 鈥淲icked,鈥� 鈥淧ushing Daisies鈥�) to present guest lectures for the newly created Master鈥檚 in Screen Acting program from 野狼社区 University, OCU School of Theatre Dean Mark Parker announced.
The two-year program will feature master classes led by industry professionals, including Sorkin and Chenoweth, an OCU alumna. The program, which will prepare graduates to work professionally in film, television and other recorded media, will begin in January 2021.
Students will learn how to develop, pitch, and produce their own content and gain invaluable experience working alongside and networking with industry professionals (actors, directors, casting directors, agents, and producers).
Applications are being accepted at this time. Details for submission of an audition and materials can be found at www.okcu.edu/mfa-screen-acting.
鈥淚 am so thrilled to have Aaron Sorkin join OCU鈥檚 invaluable Master鈥檚 in Screen Acting program,鈥� Chenoweth commented. 鈥淲ith his incredible success writing for stage, screen and television, I know he can provide students with his unique perspective on adapting to the very different skills required for each format.鈥�
Sorkin won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA and Writer鈥檚 Guild Awards for 鈥淭he Social Network鈥� and received Academy Award nominations for his screenplays for 鈥淢olly鈥檚 Game鈥� and 鈥淢oneyball.鈥� His other films include 鈥淪teve Jobs鈥� (Golden Globe Award), 鈥淐harlie Wilson鈥檚 War,鈥� 鈥淭he American President,鈥� 鈥淢alice鈥� and 鈥淎 Few Good Men.鈥� His television credits include 鈥淭he West Wing鈥� (Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for four consecutive seasons), 鈥淭he Newsroom,鈥� 鈥淪tudio 60 on the Sunset Strip鈥� and 鈥淪ports Night.鈥� His Broadway credits include 鈥淎 Few Good Men,鈥� 鈥淭he Farnworth Invention鈥� and 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird.鈥�
Chenoweth鈥檚 career spans film, television, voiceover and stage. She is an Emmy Award winner for 鈥淧ushing Daisies鈥� and a Tony Award winner for 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a Good Man, Charlie Brown.鈥� She was also nominated for Tony Awards for 鈥淲icked鈥� and 鈥淥n the Twentieth Century.鈥� She has been nominated for two Emmy Awards and a People鈥檚 Choice Award for her role on 鈥淕lee.鈥� Her additional television credits include 鈥淭he West Wing,鈥� 鈥淭he Music Man,鈥� 鈥淕CB,鈥� 鈥淭he Good Wife,鈥� 鈥淗airspray Live!鈥� 鈥淭rial & Error,鈥� 鈥淏oJack Horseman,鈥� 鈥淎 Christmas Love Story,鈥� and 鈥淭he Biggest Star in Appleton.鈥� Her film credits include 鈥淩unning with Scissors,鈥� 鈥淪tranger than Fiction,鈥� 鈥淭he Pink Panther,鈥� 鈥淩V,鈥� 鈥淗ard Sell鈥� and 鈥淭he Witches.鈥�
Additional guest speakers include: Krystal Joy Brown, currently playing Eliza Hamilton in 鈥淗amilton鈥� on Broadway; Emma Ago, director of development at MadRiver Pictures; Austin Leshay, talent agent at Hyperion; Mark Morikawa, manager at MGMT Entertainment; Dia Frampton, recording artist and actress; Siena Oberman, producer at Artemis Pictures; Aaron Brown, manager at Avalon Management; Nora May, manager at 3 Arts Entertainment; McCrae Dunlap, manager of development at FanFare; Sean Woods, manager at Fourward; and Erin Dicker, producer at BrooklynWorks Films.
OCU has also partnered with Jesse|James Films, the production company headed by Jesse Murphy and James Sears Bryant. The university will work with the production entity to provide first-hand experiences for the students with industry professionals.
For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.okcu.edu/mfa-screen-acting.
