Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Emily is proud to be part of one of Upstate NY's most artistic and progressive communities. The daughter of a comedic playwright and educator, she grew up watching her Dad, Todd Putnam, write, produce and direct more than 15 critically acclaimed musical comedies. Emily got her first pair of tap shoes at age three, and by age ten she landed her first big role: Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird.
Her time onstage sparked an interest in studying classical voice and choral music. She began vocal training in middle school, and before graduating from high school she received both acting and voice training at Carnegie Mellon University, Boston University Summer Theatre Institute, and at the New York State Summer School of the Arts. Holiday seasons growing up were either spent singing with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's Holiday Pops Ensemble, or onstage at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester's holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol.
Her time onstage sparked an interest in studying classical voice and choral music. She began vocal training in middle school, and before graduating from high school she received both acting and voice training at Carnegie Mellon University, Boston University Summer Theatre Institute, and at the New York State Summer School of the Arts. Holiday seasons growing up were either spent singing with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's Holiday Pops Ensemble, or onstage at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester's holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol.
A proud graduate of Ithaca College, Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama. She spent a semester of her undergraduate career in London, UK, where she studied contemporary British theatre at some of Europe's finest theatre companies like The Royal Court Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, The National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and others.
Emily moved back home to Rochester in 2013, and with a love of storytelling in her heart she landed a job as a Social Media Manager at a local PR firm specializing in arts and non-profit clients. Soon thereafter, with her creative interest and love of community piqued, she started trying her hand as an on-air co-host at Rochester's NBC affiliate television station, WHEC-TV. Ms. Putnam is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Communications with a specialization in Journalism Innovation from the S.I. Newhouse School Of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She performs onstage regularly with a host of Rochester-based theatre companies including Blackfriars Theatre, WallByrd Theatre Co., The Lyric Theatre, Pittsford Musicals, Webster Theatre Guild, OFC Creations, and others.
When she's not working, rehearsing, or performing, Emily practices yoga and occasionally fumbles with the guitar. She lives in the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester with her boyfriend Ricky and their puppy, Bowie.
Emily moved back home to Rochester in 2013, and with a love of storytelling in her heart she landed a job as a Social Media Manager at a local PR firm specializing in arts and non-profit clients. Soon thereafter, with her creative interest and love of community piqued, she started trying her hand as an on-air co-host at Rochester's NBC affiliate television station, WHEC-TV. Ms. Putnam is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Communications with a specialization in Journalism Innovation from the S.I. Newhouse School Of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She performs onstage regularly with a host of Rochester-based theatre companies including Blackfriars Theatre, WallByrd Theatre Co., The Lyric Theatre, Pittsford Musicals, Webster Theatre Guild, OFC Creations, and others.
When she's not working, rehearsing, or performing, Emily practices yoga and occasionally fumbles with the guitar. She lives in the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester with her boyfriend Ricky and their puppy, Bowie.
Interview w/ Eastman Opera Theatre directors Timothy Long and Ian Silverman, January 2020.
acting resume
I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. - Oscar Wilde
© Emily Putnam 2020
