Aaron Sorkin to Revisit Scarsdale's 'Social Network'

Have you heard a good one lately?

Pull up your chair, because Aaron Sorkin, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter, producer and playwright, probably has a few up his sleeve.  This Thursday evening, Sorkin is speaking at Scarsdale High School, giving village residents a rare opportunity to glean insight into what life is really like in Hollywood.

The talk was organized by the high school’s drama club. Justine Gelfman, one of the organizers and the president of the Drama Club, said that Mr. Sorkin will chat with the audience members, show movie clips and open the floor to questions, which she will help moderate.

“I hope that Aaron will share his memories of Scarsdale High School,” Gelfman told Patch. “I also hope to hear about how he translated his love of theater and acting into a successful career. I think it will be inspiring for other students to know that he went from being a SHS student like us to having a successful career in the entertainment business.”

Gelfman plans to attend Northwestern University’s Cherubs Theatre Arts Program in Chicago this summer, and she said that she plants to devote her career to the theater.

“It is an art form in which I strongly and passionately believe,” Gelfman said.  “Unlike any other activity, theater is unique because it examines raw human emotion and deals with true life experiences.”

Sorkin was born in New York City in 1961, and raised in Scarsdale. From an early age, Sorkin was inspired to get involved in his community.

As Sorkin once told Esquire Magazine, “The only political experience I've ever had came in sixth grade, when I had a crush on Jenny Lavin. Jenny was stuffing envelopes after school at the local McGovern-for-President headquarters. So I thought it'd be a good idea if I volunteered, too."

Sorkin's political ploy was not without foibles. 

"One weekend, they put us all in buses and took us to White Plains, the county seat, because the Nixon motorcade was coming through," Sorkin said. "We went with signs that said MCGOVERN FOR PRESIDENT. I was holding up one of these signs, and a 163-year-old woman came up from behind, took the sign out of my hand, whacked me over the head with it, threw it on the ground and stomped on it. The only political agenda I've ever had is the slim hope that this woman is still alive, and I'm driving her out of her mind.”

In addition to carefully nurturing his inner political wonk, Sorkin became deeply involved in the Scarsdale high school drama and theater club. After attending Syracuse University and receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater in 1983, he planned to pursue an acting career, but soon discovered his talents were best on display behind the scenes.

After struggling through his early 20s working a variety of oddball jobs including delivering singing telegrams, Sorkin broke into the spotlight, if not exactly the big leagues, in 1989 when he won accolades for his stage version of “A Few Good Men.” Sorkin’s sister, Deborah, planted the seeds of the idea after telling him about her work as a Navy Judge Advocate General lawyer at Guantanamo Bay. The play turned into a movie, and Sorkin’s career began in earnest.

Since then, Sorkin has continued to focus on screenplays that highlight power vacuums, disenfranchised yet highly intelligent protagonists, political conspiracies, rapid-fire dialogue, strong women and, of course, the operas of Gilbert & Sullivan. “The American President” (1995), “The West Wing” (1999) and “The Social Network” are among his most popular and enduring works.

“An Evening with Aaron Sorkin” will take place on Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Scarsdale High School. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

To purchase a seat in advance, contact Drama Club members Justine Gelfman at jgelf1098@aol.com, Sophie Nobler at sophienobler@verizon.net or Adrienne Meyer at adrienne47meyer@gmail.com. The auditorium seats 750 people, no reserved seating. Advance tickets are available. Proceeds will benefit future Drama Club productions.