Why This Actress Is Choosing Optimism In The Face Of COVID-19

With the coronavirus pandemic causing widespread cancellations of live theatre, many performers are searching for a sense of purpose.

Rightfully so.

Thousands of actors across the country have been left with no job, no income, and little hope for the future.

I caught up with fellow performer, Nikki Kim, about her concerns for the theatre industry, how she’s is coping with quarantine, and why she’s staying cautiously optimistic during this stressful time.

Read our conversation below.

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Nikki Kim

Where are you currently spending your time in quarantine?

I am currently back at home with my parents in the suburbs of Atlanta. When “in the city”, I live in Westchester County, which is significantly closer to the first major outbreak in the country. My parents gave me six hours notice to get to the airport (I called them around midnight and they put me on the 8am flight the next morning) because I was out of toilet paper.

How has the pandemic changed your way of life? How are you coping?

The pandemic has absolutely changed my way of life. I was getting up at 3 or 4 nearly every morning to get ready to go to sets. On days where I wasn’t on set, I was usually auditioning, taping, working concerts, etc.. Getting a day off was a treat for me. Nowadays, I’m getting a lot of “days off”, which has been very nice to catch up on rest and work on the more “administrative” side of being an actor, such as working on my website (nikki-kim.com), revamping the resume, and things of that nature.

Did you lose any contracted performance work due to the pandemic?

Unfortunately, yes. I was contracted to fly out to New Orleans on March 14th to film a project I was really excited about--this project merged my musical theatre side and my film side. We’ve been notified by production that they hope to continue in the fall, and will be reaching out to us to potentially still be in the cast.

Do you still have any other sources of income that are helping sustain you through this crisis?

I currently do not have any outside sources of income, but I am incredibly privileged to have been able to just pack up some clothes and come home. My parents were grateful to have me home, and I basically live like a teenager again - they pay for the mortgage and my food, and I just do some chores in return. I feel so blessed to have had this option so readily available.

Have you had to file for unemployment? Have you had any success?

I did not file for unemployment because I was able to come home. I felt like there were other people who did not have this option who needed the support more. I saw a photo on Facebook today that a friend had posted. Her friend had been on the line with unemployment for NINE HOURS! Granted, this was in North Carolina, but I sincerely doubt that anything is better in New York. 

If you're a member of Actors’ Equity, do you think the union is doing enough to serve and protect its members given the circumstances? If not, what would you like to see happen?

I am not part of Actor’s Equity, but I am a member of SAG-AFTRA. I don’t know if this is relevant, but SAG has been really great with communication throughout all of this, and are looking at precautions to put in place for when we finally do get to return. 

What are your biggest concerns with the theatre industry moving forward?

My concern falls on the small theatre houses throughout the country. Some theatres have had to cancel the rest of their season entirely due to COVID-19 (my mind immediately goes to the Alliance Theatre here in Atlanta). I’m not sure if they’ll have the financial backing to create their anticipated seasons. Even on Broadway, shows are closing.

However, I do feel like this time has the opportunity for the public to really see how pertinent the arts are to their lives. People all over are binge watching shows on Netflix, Hulu, and their own televisions. They’re watching live recordings of musicals like Bandstand and Newsies. In times of crisis, we turn to the arts for entertainment and solace from what is going on in the outside world. I hope this time encourages those who have the means to donate to their community theatres, not ask for refunds on tickets, and allow more magic to happen. Once this is all over, people everywhere will be flocking back to live theatre, and I believe that we may have a true theatrical renaissance on our hands.

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Nikki Kim is an actress, singer, and dancer based in New York, Boston, Atlanta, and DC. Some of her favorite credits include Dorothy in THE WIZARD OF OZ off-Broadway, Soonami Tech in FREE GUY and the monitor in CODA, both coming to theatres in late 2020. She can also be seen on the season finale of BULL, coming to CBS in the coming month. Nikki is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AGMA. nikki-kim.com