Rising Star Kim Do-yeon Shines in 'Anna X' Stage Debut

Spotlight on Rising Stars: Catching Up with Kim Do-yeon

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"I poured everything into it. My daily life revolved entirely around 'Anna X'. Even while traveling or before sleeping, I couldn't put the script down."

On October 14th, at the LG Arts Center in Magok-dong, Seoul, we met Kim Do-yeon, the lead actress of the play 'Anna X'. She shared, "We practiced as a group for 5-6 days a week, 9 hours a day, and even when alone, I would review the script at a café to organize my thoughts." She expressed her mixed feelings about the play's conclusion, "It's hard to believe that the three months with 'Anna X' are over." The play is based on the real-life story of Anna Sorokin, known from the Netflix series 'Inventing Anna'.

'Anna X' is a two-person play where the actors exchange dialogues non-stop for 100 minutes. Kim Do-yeon plays the role of Anna, a character who deceives New York's elite by posing as a wealthy heiress, using her charm and social media to carry out her schemes.

Kim Do-yeon began preparing for 'Anna X' in mid-December last year. "As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted to do it. It wasn't a difficult decision. I wanted to do theater and was curious about stage acting," she said. She added, "The script had many abstract parts, which I liked, and it was different from 'Inventing Anna'. I enjoyed focusing on the character's inner world and conveying messages in my own way."

Born in 1999, Kim Do-yeon debuted with the girl group I.O.I in 2016 and later joined Weki Meki in 2017. After Weki Meki disbanded last year, she has been focusing on her acting career, appearing in dramas like 'Love Revolution', 'My Roommate Is a Gumiho', 'One the Woman', and 'Jirisan'. This year marks her first foray into theater.

"I didn't specifically want to challenge a new field. I just love acting and naturally wanted to take on projects. There aren't many opportunities to act, so I was eager, and then 'Anna X' came along. Everything fell into place perfectly."

When asked about her similarity to Anna, Kim Do-yeon explained, "Anna has a strong conviction and passion for her dreams, to the point of wanting to establish a foundation. I also enjoy working and have a desire to achieve fulfillment in my work." She confessed, "I want to do a lot of projects. It would be wonderful if people came to love my acting."

Regarding differences from Anna, she said, "Initially, I thought we were completely different, and I couldn't understand her. But as I acted, I began to understand Anna more. I was curious if Anna truly loved Ariel and whether her schemes were premeditated." She concluded, "My interpretation is that Anna was sincere in love at that moment. Her dreams just seemed more important. I don't think she approached it with malicious intent."

"While doing 'Anna X', I felt my pronunciation improved. I didn't specifically practice it, but needing to project my voice to distant audiences naturally trained my vocal delivery. It feels different when I deliver lines now, and I'm proud of that."

Despite her passion for acting, Kim Do-yeon hasn't given up on her dream of being a singer. "I love singing and dancing. I also have an interest in producing. If I end up creating music, maybe I'll naturally release an album," she smiled.

How did her experience as a girl group member influence her acting in 'Anna X'? Kim Do-yeon shared, "As a member of Weki Meki, I have a lot of experience performing on stage in front of audiences. So, being on stage as an actress felt natural and familiar. Of course, acting was challenging, but making eye contact and interacting with the audience was welcoming and not unfamiliar."

"Practicing for over 9 hours a day wasn't difficult. The director mentioned that idol-turned-actors often come late to rehearsals due to schedules but are perfectly prepared. I thought that was a given. The habits I developed as a trainee shone through in theater as well."

Reporter Lee So-jung, TenAsia forusojung@tenasia.co.kr