I’m an actress, and I was about to start rehearsals for my first professional theater show when the pandemic hit. I was supposed to …
I’m an actress, and I was about to start rehearsals for my first professional theater show when the pandemic hit. I was supposed to be in „The Wolves.“ Within days of hearing that the production was over in mid-March, I also found out I lost my job at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, where I worked as a barista and hostess. Now I live in Bethesda, Maryland, with my parents. I graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2019 and was feeling really fortunate to have work right out of college. I was supporting myself financially and I was doing okay. At first with the pandemic, I didn’t realize how serious it was. I saw Snapchat filters with black masks and heard people talking about it, but I didn’t know how bad it would be. When I lost both my jobs, everyone at work was really kind and supportive. I had great bosses and coworkers, and we still check in on each other. But I couldn’t stay in Philadelphia, and I was really privileged to have a good support system. When I called my parents, my dad just said, „Pack up your stuff and I’ll come get you.“ I went home the next day.
