Amber Swenson ’05

For Amber Swenson ’05, dual majors in theatre and vocal music education provided the platform for both a successful acting career and a teaching job she loves just as much.  Working in Minneapolis, Swenson has enjoyed a steady string of stage roles, including a performance in the Hardcover Theater’s Princess From Mars that landed on the City Pages’ list of top 10 performances in 2006.

Swenson also does on-camera work in industrial videos, commercials, independent films, and print modeling.  And by day she runs a private studio where she teaches voice and acting. She also teaches a variety of theatre classes and in-school residencies through the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists and the Youth Performance Company.

“I am so lucky to be doing what I have always dreamed of doing,” she says. “I’ve been able to do a really wide breadth of challenging work, and I’ve been lucky enough to land some really great parts. I also get the chance to teach some of the most gifted students in the state.”

Swenson is happy that she ignored the advice of those who told her to focus on one pursuit in college.  In addition to many stage roles at Cornell and summer theatre internships, she also studied voice and piano, and participated in Concert Choir, swing dance, studio dance, and several intramural sports.

“My well-roundedness is why I work so often,” she says, “and it’s also why I don’t have to have any jobs outside of my field. Any professional will tell you, the more you can do, the more you become a valuable asset.”

Read Amber Swenson’s advice for students considering professional acting.