Meet the Cast of Double Falsehood: Susan Vesely as Violante
Please introduce yourself! Who are you playing in Double Falsehood?
Hello! I'm Susan Vesely - I'm pleased to play "the much injured" Violante.
Please give us a brief summary of the play from your characters point of view!
In this world Honor is everything. Honor = Life. For some, Honor is a given, a permanent privilege of birth. For others Honor is something that can be removed. Violante has her honor, and thus her worthiness and social standing, taken from her against her will by Henriquez, so, she imposes a self-banishment upon her person and leaves town. However, when she comes across others that are hurting she is convinced to take matters into her own hands, confront Henriquez, and restore her honor as best she can. In doing so she assists Roderick (Henriquez's brother) in stoping a sham of a wedding and aids in the reunion of two separated lovers, Julio and Leonora!
Tell us a bit about your history with Shakespeare and the Porters.
Shakespeare and I go way back. I knew of him and liked him, but it wasn't until my second year of college when he convinced me to partake in my very first audition and got me my first ever role -- Hermia in Midsummer Nights Dream -- that we truly became friends. Since then, we've worked together on many of his projects including (but not limited to): Measure for Measure, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, and MacBeth. The Porters, on the other hand, are brand new friends - this is my first show with them - I am thrilled to have met them and so glad they wanted to play with me!
Our production is a cutting of Lewis Theobald's adaptation of a lost play by Shakespeare and Fletcher. How much of Shakespeare's original work do you think survives? Are there any specific lines, scenes, and/or characters really speak to you in the "Shakespearean" voice?
Oh golly... Well, I'm no PhD holding scholar...but I guess you could say I like to think of this as Shakespeare Fan Fiction; written by a Super Fan who perhaps got his hands on an unfinished work and took it upon themselves to complete it as best they could. It's fascinating to be speaking (or hearing) the lines and go, "nah..." then suddenly you just feel it and go, "Hey, yeah, there he is!"
What's your favorite quote (or two) from the play?
Where am I? ... Not in the nunnery.
Men of your temper make everything their bramble.
Double Falsehood plays two shows at the Hollywood Fringe this weekend. Tickets HERE.