M.F.A. Low-Residency Student Profile: Meet Patrick Cannon, Actor, Writer and Producer Student Profile
Meet Patrick Cannon
- Job Title & Employer
- Actor/Writer/Producer
- Major/Program
- Writing for the Stage and Screen-M.F.A.
- Graduation
- April 2019
- Hometown
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- High School
- West Allegheny High School
- Now Living In
- New York City
- Hobbies & Interests
- Pittsburgh sports, reading and video games
"As an actor, I have been lucky and blessed to work with companies in Pittsburgh ... Theatre and film at their core are simply telling a story. As an M.F.A. student, working on storytelling from the other side of the page and printer has provided me with greater insight into my other roles in collaborative environments."
What factors led you to pursue Point Park’s low-residency M.F.A. in writing for the screen and stage program?
The opportunity to focus on the mediums of both screenwriting and playwriting is what drew me to the program in the first place, but when I realized that I could continue my creative and professional pursuits and do the work remotely, I knew it was for me.
What have you enjoyed most as a student in the M.F.A. program and why?
I assumed that because the program was low-residency, my connection and relationship with my classmates and professors would be rooted in the writing and only the writing. I am thrilled I was wrong, as I have developed friendships and collaborative relationships with my cohorts that I hope to be lifelong.
You are the writer, creator and co-showrunner for Mulligan. Tell us more about this.
Mulligan is a Pittsburgh-based series about a disgraced golf prodigy who returns home and takes a job at his family’s driving range and miniature golf course after being released from prison. Our fantastic crew was packed with students and graduates of Point Park’s cinema arts department. The cast included Point Park faculty and alumni including John Shepard, Hazel Leroy, Tony Bingham, Missy Moreno, Daina Michelle Griffith and Jason McCune.
Mulligan was one of only three pilots selected to be screened at the LA Film Festival last fall. Highlight what that experience was like.
Making our world premiere and being named an official selection in an Academy Award-qualifying festival was an absolute honor. The experience of sharing it with a movie theater filled of loved ones and strangers was great, but sharing it with the Pittsburgh audiences is what I am most looking forward to.
- "Pittsburgh-shot 'Mulligan' captures spot in LA Film Festival," TribLIVE.com
How is your Point Park experience helping you advance in your career?
As an actor, I have been lucky and blessed to work with companies in Pittsburgh including Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, City Theater Company, Bricolage and Front Porch Theatricals. Theatre and film at their core are simply telling a story. Working on storytelling from the other side of the page and printer has provided me with greater insight into my other roles in collaborative environments.
What advice do you have for prospective students?
Look up the faculty and reach out to them. The guidance and mentorship of professors like Matt Pelfrey, Elise D’Haene, Molly Rice, Issac Ho and Andrew Swensen make this a program worth considering.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Let’s go Bucs!