鶹ý City University | MFA in Screen Acting Current Students

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MFA in Screen Acting Current Students

Class of 2026

Aidar Mukhametzhanov is an American actor. He was born and raised in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Since his early childhood, Mukhametzhanov has always been fascinated with show business and performing arts. By the chance, he saw a casting call for an upcoming action feature film "Racketeer" put out by one of the country's most reputable production companies Satai Film. Mukhametzhanov couldn't help but go try something he always dreamed of doing since he was a child. Mukhametzhanov's acting ability was immediately noticed and he was invited to meet with the director and the producer. During the callback, Mukhametzhanov was hired to play the role of Asan in what later became Kazakhstan's box office's highest-grossing picture ever in history. Every household in the country watched "Racketeer." In a short period of time, he was cast in a controversial feature "Shu-Chu" which was Kazakhstan's response film to the famous "Borat" movie. In order to pursue his career, Aidar moves to the USA. He plans to get more assets onboard and get rid of his deficits as an actor, to make his way towards his dreams come true.

Addrian Shontai is an actor from Wichita Falls, TX. He received his BFA in Performance Theatre from Midwestern State University in 2019. Addrian's most notable roles at MSU theatre include Cladwell in "Urinetown the Musical", Ken Gorman in "Rumors", and Dr. Seward in "Dracula". Addrian then moved to Austin, TX to pursue acting professionally. While in Austin he was apart of Paramount theatre's Story Wranglers. He is extremely excited to be apart of the next cohort, and get the ball rolling for a career in screen acting.

Moth Medina is an actor & theatrical artist from New York. From a young age he displayed an interest in storytelling and found theatre as his way to put that into the world. He received his BFA in Theatre: Performance from SUNY buffalo. While there he played Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night, Stage managed Eurydice (Sarah Ruhl), Costumed designed Outrage (Itamar Moses), Directed The 39 Steps (Patrick Barlow), & began a tradition of a night of Shakespeare scenes and monologues; The LV Shakespeare Showcase. He was nominated for KCACTF merits for his stage management & costume design. He has an interest in the strange and off-putting and is in constant pursuit of creation through any means he finds interesting. He has a background in improv and spends time building muppet-adjacent critters or writing. Moth is an artist with a deep interest in classical texts and a desire to explore bizarre new stories. Much like how some sharks have to constantly swim to keep oxygen-rich water flowing over their gills, Moth must always be working to keep his creative blood pumping.

Hey y'all hey!! My name is Genesis Beecham from Chicago, Illinois and I am an aspiring actress hoping to make positive changes in the world. I first started acting my freshman year in college and fell in love with it instantly. With the support of my professors, friends, and family, I grew in the craft and decided to pursue acting as a career. I love the art and all aspects that it takes to make a script come alive and I hope one day that I can open the door for more inclusivity.

Jenni-Cate Rhodes is originally from Hartselle, Alabama where she fell in love with acting in the local community theatre at the age of eight. She is a proud alumnus of Maryville College where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and Exemplary Thesis in Theatre Studies (Performance) and American Sign Language Deaf Studies. Some of her favorite roles she performed during her time there include Jo March in Erin Riley's Little Women, Woman in M. Nance’s Scarlet, Trisha in Allen Ball’s Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, and Oakleaf in Oscar Saul’s Revolt of the Beavers. She hopes to continue to use storytelling as a vehicle of change for the LGBTQ+ and Deaf communities. She’s over the moon at the opportunity to join 鶹ý’s MFA program in Screen Acting. When she is not performing, Jenni-Cate enjoys poetry, bright colors, talking excitedly with friends, and watching TV. You can find her on Instagram

Gabriel Prewitt is an actor, singer, sound designer, and playwright from Columbus, Ohio. As a child, they were captivated by movies and television and always envisioned being on screen in the future. In high school, they fell in love with theater and made the decision to pursue acting as a career. They graduated from Dillard University with a Bachelor's of Arts in Theater Performance. As an artist, it is their goal to use their art to explore the experiences of people from marginalized communities and bring about social change. They are very aware of the power that art has to change the world and they strive to use that power to change the hearts and minds of the general public. Outside of that, they spend their time reading, watching movies and television, listening to music and spending time with family and friends. They are eager to return to their childhood pursuit of acting on the screen.

J. Paige Fields is an actor from Hagerstown, Maryland. Paige graduated in 2023 from West Liberty University with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Dance, and has not stopped performing since. With a background in live theatre, she is excited to expand her skillset through the 鶹ý City University Screen Acting Program!

Hayden Heiserman is an actor, singer, and musician from Weirton, West Virginia. In 2021, he graduated from West Liberty University with a BM in Vocal Performance and a BA in Theater Performance. Since then, he has worked as a self-employed musician, an actor, and a ballroom dance teacher. Hayden is excited to start his journey in the 鶹ý City University Screen Acting Program!

Greetings! My name is Emilee Batten. I am beyond grateful to be a part of 鶹ý City University’s Cohort IV in the MFA in Screen Acting program! I have always had a love for acting, as well as singing and the arts as a collective. I discovered early on that performing was my true passion. After attending The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, I obtained my Bachelor’s of Music in Musical Theatre. Though I love being on stage, I am thrilled to be pursuing a career in screen acting for film! I look forward to gaining new skills, while also observing how what I have learned for live stage also applies to screen acting. I can’t wait to see what the next two years bring!

Currently based in LA, Jacob Collard (actor, musician, director) is a recent graduate from AMDA College of the Performing Arts (BFA in Acting). He is a member of the Society of American Fight Directors with 2 ½ years of stage combat experience. Jacob has worked consistently for the past 10 years, with over 32 stage productions to date. Outside of theatre he loves working out and spending time with his girlfriend and her cat, Anya. Jacob is currently working on an original play titled Al Fine, which he will be starring in and directing, for the upcoming season of the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June.

Class of 2025

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 鶹ý 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 鶹ý! 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 鶹ý. 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 鶹ý 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 鶹ý 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 鶹ý 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 鶹ý 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 鶹ý. 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. 

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