Hispanic Heritage Month - Spotlight on Ori Quesada
September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month! We are excited to share short interviews with our Hispanic company members. This first interview is with Ori Quesada, who plays one of the Assistants in The Nightingale.
Tell us about your family heritage.
I am Nicaraguan-Portuguese. My mom was born and raised in Portugal, and my dad is Nicaraguan-American. My dad’s family has been migrating to San Francisco from Nicaragua for over 5 generations. The earliest member of my family that moved to San Francisco from Nicaragua was my grandmother’s grandfather who lived in the Haight. My grandmother was born in Granada, Nicaragua, but moved to SF to live with him when she was 14. My grandfather was born here in the city, but his parents moved from Nicaragua to SF around the 1910’s. The rest of my family came to San Francisco after the Sandinista Revolution.
How has your Hispanic Heritage played a part in shaping you as an artist?
Being Latino shaped a lot of what I was asked to play on stage, especially when I was younger. I think nowadays, it mostly affects how I choose to be portrayed on stage by paying attention to racial dynamics and not wanting to perpetuate stereotypes I was so often type cast in when I was younger.
Are there aspects of your Hispanic heritage that have played a part in your creation of "The Nightingale"?
I would definitely say so. My character in relationship with the Emperor already put me in a position of servitude that was immediately uncomfortable, especially being in service to a white person with so much power over my character and everyone he interacted with. This was familiar on so many levels as a Latino. I think Joey and I had to navigate the discomfort by playing with the comedy of each of our characters and trying to find some balance in the imbalance of power. If the Emperor was too ridiculous to be taken completely seriously, my character could keep their dignity and share a bit of struggle with the audience so they weren’t alone in it.