SVETLANA EFREMOVA (Rena Grushenka) is a professor of Acting at California State University, Fullerton. The Russian-born actress holds a MFA degree from the Yale School of Drama and a BFA from the St. Petersburg Academy of Theatre in Russia and has taught at Harvard, the University of Rio Grande and the Academy of Humanities in St. Petersburg, Russia. Additionally, Efremova has conducted acting workshops on the Stanislavsky Method at colleges across the United States, including Bennington College and Miami University.

She appeared on Broadway in a touring production of Uncle Vanya, and starred in numerous shows at the Yale Repertory Theater and South Coast Repertory Theater. Among her film and television credits are The Prince of Central Park, Evident Kiss, Hotel Lobby, Spiral and Gideon's Crossing, as well as recurring roles on the popular series The Guardian and The West Wing. She can be seen in the current drama K-19, starring Harrison Ford.

Efremova was honored with Yale University's Herschel Williams Award for Outstanding Actress of 1997, as well as a Best Actress Award at the 1984 Prague Film Festival of European Acting Schools. She also received an Outstanding Actress nomination from the Connecticut Critics Circle in 1997.

Efremova's next screen appearance will be in Joel Schumacher's dramatic thriller, Phone Booth, starring Colin Farrell and Forest Whitaker.