Assistant Professor of Screenwriting
Contact Information
- Office: 203 University Center
- Phone: 412-392-4301
- Fax: 412-392-4307
- Email: scuden@pointpark.edu
Education
- M.F.A., Screenwriting, University of California Los Angeles
- Certificate, Professional Program in Screenwriting, University of California Los Angeles
- B.A., Theatre, University of Southern California Los Angeles
Courses Taught
- Screenwriting
- Motion Picture Production
Background
Steve Cuden, a proud native of Pittsburgh, is a writer-director-producer. Together with renowned composer, Frank Wildhorn, he co-conceived and contributed various lyrics to the Broadway and international musical sensation, Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical, which ran for four years on Broadway and has been performed on stages the world over. Along with Wildhorn, he also co-conceived and contributed various lyrics to the international hit musical, Rudolf, Affaire Mayerling. He has written nearly ninety teleplays for many popular TV series such as: X-Men, The Batman, Iron Man, Xiaolin Showdown, Loonatics Unleashed, World of Quest, The Mask, Goof Troop, Bonkers, Quack Pack, Gargoyles, Beetlejuice, Savage Dragon, Pink Panther, RoboCop, Extreme Ghostbusters, Stargate Infinity, ExoSquad, Mummies Alive, and numerous others. He directed and co-produced the cult-favorite horror-comedy feature, Lucky, winning the award for Best Director at the Nodance Film Festival. Lucky also won awards for Best Feature at the New York City Horror Film Festival, Shriekfest in Los Angeles, MicroCineFest in Baltimore, and the Weekend of Fear in Nuremberg, Germany. He is proud to be currently teaching screenwriting to the many talented cinema & digital arts students at Point Park University.
Curriculum Vitae
Professional Affiliations
- Writers Guild of America
- Writers Guild of Canada
- Dramatists Guild
- Animation Guild
- The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
- The Denis Theatre Foundation, Advisory Board of Directors
- Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Board of Directors
Selected Artistic Works
- Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical, Concept and Additional Lyrics
- Lucky, Director, Producer
- A Rat's Tale, Writer
- The Sweetest Christmas, Writer (In Development)
Research Interests
- The deconstruction of motion picture and television screenplays, specifically in terms of narrative structure and narrative beats
Selected Lectures
- Lecturer, How to Succeed in Hollywood, Carnegie Mellon University, 2012
- Lecturer, Screenwriting Fundamentals, Women in Film Screenwriting Symposium, 2012
- Lecturer, Master Class on Plot and Character, Academy for New Musical Theatre, 2010
Selected Awards and Honors
- Award of Excellence for Feature Film Screenplay, The Memory Tour, UCLA Screenwriters Showcase, 2009
- Best Director, Lucky, Nodance Film Festival, 2002
Point Park Feature
- "Hollywood Veteran Brings 30 Years of Industry Experience," Point Park website, June 22, 2011.
In the News
- "Person of Interest: Steve Cuden - Director, Screenwriter, Lyricist," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 18, 2013.
- "Hear and Now," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 16, 2011.
- "Film Notes: Steeltown to Unveil Film Winner, Newly Named Award," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 14, 2012.