Aaron Sorkin and Kristin Chenoweth partner for new Master’s in Screen Acting program master classes

OKLAHOMA CITY – Academy and four-time Emmy Award winner Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network,” “The West Wing,” Broadway’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”) will join Tony and Emmy Award winner Kristin Chenoweth (“You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Wicked,” “Pushing Daisies”) to present guest lectures for the newly created Master’s in Screen Acting program (https://www.okcu.edu/news/broadway-superstar-headlines-new-ocu-acting-masters-degree-program/) from Oklahoma City University and London’s Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA).

OCU School of Theatre Dean Mark Parker and Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) Principal Adrian Hall announced the news this week.

Based in both London and Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, ALRA is a drama school that provides high quality acting and directing training. The program, which will prepare graduates to work professionally in film, television and other recorded media, will begin in January 2021.

The two-year program will feature master classes led by industry professionals, including Sorkin and Chenoweth, an OCU alumna.
Year one of the program will start with hands-on learning in Los Angeles’ historic Culver City, including internship opportunities at L.A. film industry companies. During the second year, students will study in London at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts.

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) in both L.A. and London.
Applications are now being accepted. Details for submission of an audition and materials can be found at okcu.edu/mfa-screen-acting.

“I am so thrilled to have Aaron Sorkin join OCU’s invaluable Master’s in Screen Acting program,” Chenoweth stated. “With 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.”

Sorkin won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA and Writer’s Guild Awards for “The Social Network” and received Academy Award nominations for his screenplays for “Molly’s Game” and “Moneyball.” His other films include “Steve Jobs” (Golden Globe Award), “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “The American President,” “Malice” and “A Few Good Men.”
Sorkin’s television credits include “The West Wing” (Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for four consecutive seasons), “The Newsroom,” “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” and “Sports Night.” His Broadway credits include “A Few Good Men,” “The Farnworth Invention” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“The way we consume entertainment has changed in ways we could not have imagined just a few years ago,” Sorkin said. “This important new master’s degree program not only provides students with direct contact with industry leaders but helps them develop and produce their own content to stand out in a crowded market.”

An Emmy Award winner for “Pushing Daisies” and Tony Award winner for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” Chenoweth was also nominated for Tony Awards for “Wicked” and “On the Twentieth Century.”

She has been nominated for two Emmy Awards and a People’s Choice Award for her role on “Glee.” Her additional television credits include “The West Wing,” “The Music Man,” “GCB,” “The Good Wife,” “Hairspray Live!” “Trial & Error,” “BoJack Horseman,” “A Christmas Love Story,” and “The Biggest Star in Appleton.” Her film credits include “Running with Scissors,” “Stranger than Fiction,” “The Pink Panther,” “RV,” “Hard Sell” and “The Witches.”

Additional program guest speakers include: Krystal Joy Brown, currently playing Eliza Hamilton in “Hamilton” 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.

Other featured program speakers will be 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.

Jesse|James Films, the production company headed by Jesse Murphy and James Sears Bryant has partnered with OCU to provide first-hand experiences for the students with industry professionals. 
For more information, contact ocuthreatreauditions@okcu.edu or visit okcu.edu/mfa-screen-acting.