MFA in Screen Acting Current Students

Audrey is a true creative, she gets joy from anything she makes herself. Whether its an acting performance, a photograph, a video, a prop, set design, or just sketching in her notebook in class. She believes the ability to create art is such an impactful beautiful thing about being human. Through art we see truth, we lose our ignorance and gain compassion for others. She would rather be poor and do what she loves than be rich and work on something her heart isn't in. She was born and raised in Southern Oregon, with parents who always dressed up to go to the theater or concerts, they appreciate art and she learned to appreciate it from them. There's beauty in just being still and noticing the life all around you, the little moments are important, they become who you are. Audrey is an artist, and she will spend her whole life creating and teaching others to appreciate the little moments.

Hello, I am Bryson Scott! I am a first-year grad student from Greenville, South Carolina. I achieved my Bachelor's of Arts at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina majoring in Mass Communications a minor in Theatre, with a concentration in Digital Media. Now, I am currently enrolled at Oklahoma City University studying Screen Acting.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Chelsea is thrilled to be a part of the MFA in Screen Acting Program at OCU! She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University where she studied Creative Writing, Art, and Drama. There, she performed in many shows with Scotch‘n’Soda Theatre, including Moon Over Buffalo (Charlotte Hay). After graduation, she performed all around the Pittsburgh area for about seven years. Favorite credits: Next to Normal (Diana Goodman), Hairspray (Penny Pingleton), American Idiot (Whatsername), The Diary of Anne Frank (Mrs. Van Daan), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Yitzhak), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Suzy), Legally Blonde (Vivienne), Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti), The Addams Family (Alice Beineke). In this program, she is looking forward to learning how to transition her theatre skills to on-camera work. As an artist, she is also excited to learn all about the art of storytelling from behind the camera, as well. Chelsea wants to thank everyone who has given her a chance to shine, and like the late Mary Tyler Moore, she’s “gonna make it after all”. chelseabartel.com

Emerson is an actor, director, and writer from Buffalo, NY. She went to undergrad at Miami University, studying Theatre and Media Production, and is very excited to be furthering her studies at the MFA level at OCU. Most recently, Emerson has directed her first short film, Rewriting Mallory, which is currently in the festival circuit. Outside of the entertainment world, Emerson enjoys hiking, yoga, and boxing! Emerson can be found on Instagram @emersonnadams and on her website emerson-adams.com.

Emily Clarke was born in Savannah, Georgia and grew up in Slidell, Louisiana. She was born with a spinal tumor that impaired the use of her legs, but that’s never held her back. Demonstrating a flair for the dramatic early in life, she finally decided to take the first step on her acting journey after seeing a production of Into The Woods at Slidell Little Theatre in her hometown. She initially started her senior year at Northshore High School with the plan to pursue a degree in history and work at a Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. but changed her mind when her theatre director advised her to pursue film. Emily graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana with a B.A. in Theatre and a minor in Music. There, she was an active member of Rivertown Players Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, and the world-travelling Centenary College Choir. She also had the opportunities to study abroad in Paris, France as well as 4 cities in Spain: Granada, Seville, Madrid, and Barcelona. Emily’s goal is to bring disability representation to the stage and screen in an authentic, organic way and hopefully encourage more disabled creators to pursue entertainment. Her favorite roles from her time at the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse at Centenary are Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie and Kate Mundy in Dancing at Lughnasa. Emily is beyond excited to be a member of Cohort III and can’t wait to see what the MFA in Screen Acting program has in store!

Meagan Mouton Is from Sugar Land, Texas. She received her BA in Theatre from Oklahoma State University. Some of her favorite Theatre acting credits include: "Steel Magnolias", "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the Moon Marigolds", "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". Meagan had the pleasure of acting in the original adapted workshop of "Slapped!" Meagan had a taste of directing when she assistant directed "The Wedding Singer" while in undergrad. Meagan also accredits her love of theatre from Speech and Debate, where she went on to compete in State for Dramatic Interpretation and Nationals in Prose Oratory Interpretation. Meagan is excited to continue to grow as an artist and can't wait to learn all that Oklahoma City University has to offer!

Raven Mone't Bryant is an actress who started her acting debut at the age of eight years old. She was placed into a summer acting camp at the Cleveland Playhouse in 2006, and has been hooked ever since. From plays like Huckleberry Finn and To Kill A Mockingbird, musicals like Violet and Hairspray and even a few student Films and extra roles affiliated with Netflix. You can see how the light shines on her. Raven graduated with her Associates of Arts in 2017, Bachelors Degree in Theater Arts in May 2019, and second Bachelors Degree in Biology in December 2023 . Raven is currently enrolled at Oklahoma City University - Los Angeles Screen Acting Masters Program, where she aspires to write screenplays and continue screen acting, while modeling, singing and dancing throughout her ambitious career! After spending a year in Los Angeles, she will be continuing her studies in London, UK.

Sabin Senehang is an Actor from Fort Worth, Texas. Born in Nepal and raised in the D/FW Metroplex. Graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s in Theatre. Ready to hone existing skills and learn new ones. Excited to embark on this 2 year journey with cohort lll! Instagram can be found at: Sabin_Senehang

Taylor Crumrine is an actor, writer, director, and producer from Westerville, Ohio. She is so thrilled to be a part of Cohort III at Oklahoma City University! She received her B.A. in Theatre from the University of Kentucky in May of 2022. She also received minors in Sociology, Creative Writing, and Musical Theatre. After graduating college she worked as a Children’s Theatre and Education Intern at Florida Studio Theatre before applying to OCU. When not being creative, Taylor can be found reading in bed or reading on the couch or reading on the go. She would be nowhere without the support of her friends and family, especially her parents and her dogs Jack, Jill, and Ollie. 

Anirudh Mohan is an actor who has contributed to a number of roles in theater, short films and voiceovers around the San Francisco Bay area. Anirudh studied acting in San Francisco State University and was part of a Shakespeare Troupe that toured multiple high schools around San Francisco School District to teach students about the Bard himself. During the pandemic, he has been part of live zoom plays with companies such as Bay Area Drama Company, Naatak House and Cloud Playhouse. Anirudh believes the best quote that signifies the art of acting is: "Acting is like sculpture, it's what you take away from yourself to reveal the truth of what you're doing that makes a performance" - Orson Welles. Apart from being an actor, Anirudh enjoys watching movies, reading novels, hiking and supporting his favorite teams; Golden State Warriors and Manchester United.

Berta Manevich is very excited to join the MFA Screen Acting program at Oklahoma City University! A multifaceted actress, Berta is fluent in Russian and loves ballroom dancing including Waltz, Foxtrot and her absolute favorite... Salsa! Berta graduated from Central Washington University with a B.A in Theatre Arts and Russian Studies. She is a recipient of the Audience Choice Monologue Award at the 2021 Seattle Film Summit and her credits include multiple leading roles in award winning films. Her theatre credits include "The Diary of Anne Frank" (Miep Gies), "Picnic" (Christine), "The Safeguard Society" (Cassandra Featherstone), "Ghosts of Living Flesh" (Nurse) and "Black Water" (Ella). When she's not on stage, Berta loves hiking, photography and content creation with a focus on sharing her behind the scenes and theatre adventures, fashion and body positive content. She is looking forward to learning, honing her acting skills and working with her fellow cohort to create stories of meaning and purpose! Berta can be found on Instagram @berta_m and on her website bertamanevich.com.

Christopher Bates Jr.'s journey into the art of acting initiated at the age of 3. He began his performance training on-stage at the Little Theatre in Norfolk in Norfolk, Va. and was infatuated with the craft ever since. Christopher has starred in various plays as a young child, and films while in high school, with productions such as "The Scheme of the Driftless Shifter," "High School Musical On Stage!", “Our Town” and “12 Angry Men.” With his training from The Acting Training program at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Christopher's skill set ranges from Shakespeare technique to Stanislavski-based techniques, both onstage and on-screen. He has also developed experience in Musical Theatre, with a vocal range at Tenor. Christopher has extensive training in Modern Dance, Jazz, and Ballet, and is proficient in Stage Combat with a range of movement and vocal techniques. Christopher has also starred in numerous productions at his University, including “A Raisin in the Sun,” “As You Like It,” “The Three Musketeers," which showed my stage athleticism, and “In the Red and Brown Water.” Christopher was also fortunate enough to be featured in incredible projects, such as "The Favorite", starring actor John Schneider and UFC fighter Tyron Woodley, a small role in the Hulu series "Reprisal," and "Future Investor," a short film in which he starred in that was featured at the Charlotte 48 Hour Film Festival. After receiving his BA at UNC Pembroke, Christopher is ecstatic to continue his training and further his passion with the esteemed MFA in Screen Acting program at OCU.

Elina Cummings is an educated Trinidadian woman from New York. Elina grew up with Abrams Artist Agency where she did commercials and made an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" at the young age of three. As Elina grew up she took to the stage to perform musicals of all kinds including "Hairspray," "Oklahoma" and "The Little Mermaid." Elina then took her talents down south where she attended the illustrious Clark Atlanta University. Elina received her Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Theatre Arts with the highest distinction of Summa Cum Laude. Elina spent time at CAU honing her monologue and poetry skills. As Elina moves forward she plans to receive her MFA in screen acting before diving back into the realms of the entertainment world.

Born in Alexandria, VA, Lauren Wheeler lived in Wiesbaden, Germany, and grew up in Stafford, VA. At an early age, Lauren showed interest in all things entertainment, sports and the arts. During her junior year at North Stafford High School, she started her journey to become an actress. Lauren graduated with honors from Norfolk State University with a B.A. in Drama and Theatre, where she was an active member of the Norfolk State University Theatre Company.

Lindsay Fabes is thrilled to be joining Cohort II! Lindsay, a New York native, received her BFA in Acting from the University of Oklahoma. She had her first acting job at 2 months old on the television soap opera "Another World" and has been a working actor ever since. She would love to give a huge shout out to her very supportive and eccentric family that always nurtured her love of performing by constantly bringing her to concerts, operas, broadway shows, and watching all of the shows she has performed. Some of her favorite off-broadway/regional credits include Lea in "Double Rainbow" (The Secret Theatre), Captain of the Guard in "Il Trovatore" (Regina Opera), Sylvia u/s in "Tribes" (Barrington Stage Company), Aerosol in "AfroAmericana" (54 Below/The Tank), and Elinor Pomby in "Broken Hands" (Hudson Guild Theatre). She is looking forward to bringing her love of stage combat, musicals and makeup artistry to the program.

Lorenzo Pugliese is an actor/singer-songwriter from Scranton, PA. As an undergrad, he studied at The University of the Arts and earned a BFA in Musical Theatre for his time. Professionally, he is best known for his performance as SpongeBob SquarePants in the first national tour of "The Spongebob Musical." Regarding the singer-songwriter he claims to be, he has yet to release a thing, though he insists he has lots of unreleased material coming soon…

Anyway, Go Stars!

Marc Arricale is a SAG-Aftra actor born and raised in Queens, NY. He received his BA in Theatre from SUNY Oswego and is a graduate of the Conservatory Program at The Atlantic Acting School in New York City. Marc is thrilled and honored to be a part of the second cohort of Oklahoma City University's MFA in Screen Acting Program.

Sango Tajima (she/her) is a Japanese-American performer, writer and theatre-maker. Born in Michigan and raised in Thailand, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, and Japan, she returned to the U.S. to get her BFA at the University of Michigan. Upon graduation she spent a decade working as an artist and arts administrator in the Bay Area theatre scene. She has worked with Berkeley Rep, Guthrie Theater, Cal Shakes, SF Playhouse, Shotgun Players, Marin Theatre Company, Campo Santo, Magic Theatre, Cutting Ball Theater, Playwrights Foundation, Bay Area Children's Theater, FaultLine Theater, and has performed on stages in Japan, China, Korea, and Israel. She is a company member of Ferocious Lotus Theatre Company and former member of Ragged Wing Ensemble, both of whom have produced her work as a playwright.

Sarah Anne Kauffman is honored to be a member of the second cohort for the MFA Screen Acting Program at Oklahoma City University! Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Sarah Anne recently graduated from University of Tampa where she earned her BFA in Musical Theatre. Sarah Anne was seen on stage at UT in their production of "9 to 5" as Margaret and on screen was seen in the independent pilot "Divine Intervention," "Ozark," "Senior Year" and "Christmas Deja Vu." When she's not making jokes, Sarah Anne creates content for her plus-size fashion blog! @sarahannerk. sarahannekauffman.com

Scott Rydelski is a Mexican-American actor, director, and writer from Orange County, California. Scott received his B.A. in Theatre Performance and his B.A. in Comedic Arts from California Baptist University. Scott’s eclectic education has landed him opportunities on stage, in voiceover, and on screen all throughout California. Scott is beyond thrilled to bring his talents over and start this amazing opportunity with OCU’s MFA in Screen Acting program.

Sean Smith is from Oklahoma City and recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Political Science. He has wanted to be an actor since he performed in his first play in middle school ("Honk! Jr.") and is thrilled to be a part of the Oklahoma City University MFA in Screen Acting program. Sean's most notable OKC theater roles include Lord Farquaad in "Shrek the Musical," Sonny in "Grease" and Walter Cunningham in "To Kill a Mockingbird." He has also been an extra on several movies filmed in the OKC area such as "Stillwater" and "The Line." Sean enjoys playing and watching basketball, following OU football, playing guitar and banjo, and watching movies.