September 14, 2021
Wilma HotHouse Company Member Suli Holum was recently seen on the hottest show of the summer, HBO’s Mare of Easttown, starring Kate Winslet.
Now, she’s getting ready to appear on the Wilma stage in Minor Character, a modern remix of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s classic work Uncle Vanya, which runs Oct. 5-24. Much of the cast plays multiple roles, with performers even playing different interpretations of the same character.
As rehearsals began, Suli took some time to answer a few questions about the show.
What excites you about the Wilma’s production of Minor Character?
Suli Holum: This is my first opportunity to work on Chekhov, and it so exciting to be in a production that is bringing Chekhov to our present moment so playfully, and I think lovingly too. It is also always a thrill to have an opportunity to play more than one role in a production, and the more different the better!
What do you think audiences will enjoy about Minor Character?
Suli: Chekhov was a humorist, and I think a lot of productions struggle to access what’s so painfully funny and humorously painful about his characters. I think our production really taps into the joy, the fun of Uncle Vanya. And it’s going to be a theatrical feast! Visually, musically, textually. Super fun and playful.
What do you expect will be the trickiest aspect of the show for your role in the production?
Suli: Timing, timing, timing. The structure of the piece is quite intricate and all of our performances have to be in sync, it’s exactly the kind of ensemble challenge that the HotHouse trains for.
Wilma Co-Artistic Director and Minor Character co-creator Morgan Green says one idea at the heart of Minor Character is that “everyone has multiple selves inside of themselves.” How does that statement apply to you?
Suli: This idea is at the center of my craft as an actor. I couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t recognize that I have some options in terms of who I am on a given day, in a given circumstance, or stage of life, and that I can access that multiplicity in the roles I play.
I couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t recognize that I have some options in terms of who I am on a given day, in a given circumstance, or stage of life, and that I can access that multiplicity in the roles I play.
Suli Holum
What’s your favorite moment from the show so far, and why?
Suli: I love singing! In harmony! You can’t do that on Zoom! Hooray Live Theater!
