Kaidi Li, 25, is a Chinese performer who recently got her MFA in performance from Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Li came to New York City in the fall of 2015, to pursue her acting career.
Li spent her undergraduate career in China, and majored in dance. Her background has given her a lot of performing opportunities in New York. Most of these performances are unpaid. She lives in the living room of a 3-bedroom apartment on Roosevelt Island with three other people. Only a curtain separates her room from the living room. The rent is $850 per month. Li depends on her parents, who are still in China, for financial support.
Recently, Li has been working on a physical theater (a play that primarily depends on physical expression above dialogue) at Columbia University, called Thunderstorm (re)making. The play was adapted from a famous Chinese play Thunderstorm (Lei Yu). Four actresses star in it, and Li’s character is Sifeng, a maid who works for a wealthy family with a lot of drama.
Her plan is to work as much as she can until July of 2016, when she must get a lawyer and apply for her O1 visa to remain in the United States legally. The O1 visa is for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement. Li’s performing experiences are not only for creative expression but also for her to continue pursuing her dreams in the United States.
