I love to cherish every single moments of dreaming & doing what I love, sharing courage and goodness for the people who dream. Always, “Dream Big and God is Good.”
Seoul & New York
@dreamaco | www.eunjilim.com | Linktree | Youtube
INTERVIEW
Tell our readers what led you to the acting and theater field.
I have loved being on stage since I was young. As a choir member of World Vision Children’s Choir in my childhood, I had lots of performances in different theaters in Korea. We participated in International Children’s Choir Festivals and had the U.S. Tour. It allowed me to be in various theaters, to broaden my perspective, and to dream of working internationally. I loved singing, dancing, and telling my stories in front of many people. I remember I had many auditions to be a K-POP idol many times, which could look like an unrealistic dream. I was brave and confident enough to show them, “Look how good I am!” and wanted to prove myself. Even if I didn’t pass or sign the contract, it made me grow. That time remains a memorable and encouraging memory in my heart.
When I was 18 years old, I thought, ‘I can sing and I love acting. Maybe then, I could be a musical star?’ Maybe that moment was the first door of my life, opening the opportunity to walk into the theater field, where I could be spotlighted. Through many different doors, it led me to where I am calling myself, an actor & artist.
What did your training at the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, New York, and your Master of Fine Arts (MFA) give you?
Presence, Freedom, Creativity, and Resilience.
At the beginning of the process, we learn to acknowledge ourselves as an ‘instrument’. It allowed me to learn how much weight of the presence I am holding on the stage and how I am existing with what. Knowing myself with senses, memories, and imaginations, I expanded my ability to be present with my whole self and to breathe & exist with others. Rooting to the earth was so crucial to me. There was an exercise in which I spoke my monologues in Korean, I could feel the emotions of my character with my skin and it brought me to the point where I could feel deeply with English as well. Personally, training through acting in English gave me freedom which made me leap high as an actor. When I worked on scenes, I stayed hours to read the script again, created the backstories constantly, went into my imagination, and re-created senses. The more I got sensitive to their emotions, the finer I could get close to the realness.
Through time, I got through the time of flourishing my crafts as an actor and artist. The techniques that I received were carved in my heart, leading me to create my work fruitfully wherever I go.
Eunji, which event in your career do you consider the most significant?
Doña Mañana.
In 2021, I graduated from my MFA program, passing through the pandemic. For us, humans, we missed each other and almost forgot how to breathe together. Gratefully, I got into the theatre company, People’s Theatre Project for the show of their trilogy ‘Doña Mañana’ — the story about the people, creating a nation where all ethnicities, genders, and generations could live equally and protecting their human rights with questions of making gratifying system. Through this production, we had so many audiences with us, making our show full of all the runs. I made my NYC Theatre Debut, being acclaimed venues such as the New York Theatre Workshop, The Riverside Theatre, the Whitney Museum, and more. My character U-Ri — named by me, meaning ‘Us’ in Korean — was my shadow, embracing my time, soul, tears, sweats, and laugh. After this production, I started blooming in New York City with my own scent and aura. It is such a beautiful footprint of my universe.
Doña Mañana
Your portfolio includes participation in performances, plays, work in theater… and the “BEST PERFORMANCE” award from the Asian Arts Awards, Fringe Festival 2023. For which work did you receive this award?
Last summer, I got cast as Solange for the play ‘The Maids’ by Jean Genet, invited to Korean Season 2023 in Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was dreams-come-true moment, since it was one of my dream to be on stage of Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I remember I was overwhelmingly pumped! Me and my partner worked on the play with our director in Chun-cheon, one of the beautiful city in Korea, almost 2 months. It was a 2 women show as sisters, combined with 80% of our physical movement and 20 % of words, very emotional, and physically highly expressive we needed to. I remember my partner and I always prayed to God right before the show, hugged and cried every after the show, it was like our ritual. It would be impossible if I didn’t have her brilliance and braveness.
I remember I was working on Solange’s monologue for preparing auditions for Acting Major in College. I thought I knew Solange’s mind that time, but it was deeper this time. It was so vivid and clear to me and made my heart painful every time. I must say, I grew up enormously through this show. Amazingly, it brought me to win ‘BEST PERFORMANCE’. I feel blessed about not only having this opportunity but also living as Solange.
Let’s talk about another aspect of your work—you are also a teacher. Is it difficult to balance your own work and teaching?
I love teaching. As I look back, since college, teaching has been one of the important parts of my life. I think I always have my acting career partnering with teaching. After I finished college, I got into the Acting Academy in Seoul as an acting teacher. The more I taught students, the more the definition of Acting became established on my mind. At the same time, it brought me confidence and a desire to be on stage, encouraging myself.
While I was teaching at the public schools in New York City, I realized how much I love teaching and how much passion I have for educating and sharing this gift I have with students, especially about something that I love the most. It always empowered me whenever I was with students who started being curious about what theater and acting are and loving the one I love.
Teaching helped and guided me in a way that I could be a better actor, educator, and human so that I could be a good mentor for my students. Observing students growing, I could also discover myself growing. So I must say these two for me are very much intertwined and I actually love having balances with these two that I cherish.
What project are you working on at the moment, if it’s not a secret?
BIG SECRET. BUT. I am sharing this only with you since you asked me kindly. (Smile)
This Summer, I produced my first film <복행:GO-AROUND>, starred, written, and directed by myself. A little backstory: It was the time when I was on the subway. I was having a blue day and felt hopeless, drinking my iced-americano. But suddenly after a second, something brightened my heart, and then the moment I was living passed through my eyes like a panorama. Then I started writing. Ta-da. It became the first film script I wrote and finished shooting. The film is in post-production now and hopefully, it can say “Hi” to the world very soon.
I also just started working on a new show with theatre company ‘Project Island’ for ‘The Reunification of the Two Koreas’. It is a story about Love, beautifully written by French playwright Joel Pommerat. I am super grateful to be back in Daehakro again, soon after the production of ‘Eldest Daughters’ this August.
What advice would you give to young artists? Where should they start to achieve the most productive results from their efforts?
“Dream Big!”
My parents always told me this, while they raised me. Having a big dream. I will hand you the same. Sometimes it feels luxurious to have a dream when we get overwhelmed by our reality. But, even in that moment, you can still dream and pursue it. And walking through the journey, you might get close to it. If you dream and cherish it, the universe will help you, who knows!
“Try.”
Wherever you are, I’ll always say, you will never know until you try. There might be lots of valleys you have to walk through. Some people might call them obstacles, but I’ll call them opportunities. Opportunities to grow. When people around you say, “You can’t do it” or “You’re being unrealistic, give up.” it could be a heaven-sent turning point, asking if it’s really something you can’t give up and how much you LOVE this! Contemplating these, you will find the answers for yourself.
You will never know until you try. You are one and only. There is no one like you.
Discover and Craft your uniqueness. Being authentic with yourself is the core key to leap I believe. Trust yourself and Love what you choose.