Welcome back to our weekly interviews with cast and crew! As opening nights approach, check back every few days another behind-the-scenes look at Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and his Brother Valentine (RJMV)

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Q: Who are you? 

Hayley: Hayley Hudson – I’m doing the dance choreography. I’m a full-time mom and Pampered Chef.

Ben: I’m Ben Hudson. I’ve lived in Kingston since forever, and I’m playing Tybalt.

Q: What's your theatre background? 

Hayley: Acting, and dancing.

Ben: When I was a young teenager, I used to film stupid Star Trek spoof movies with my buddies. I saw a couple of plays when I was fourteen, and that got me into theatre. The second one I ever saw was a Shakespeare play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and [director] Matt [Davis] played Demetrius.

Q: How did you two get involved with Impromptu Productions?

Ben: I saw Matt talking to Jennifer Verardi [Juliet] about the shows when we were doing An Evening of Coarse Acting, and then I talked Hayley up to Matt at my audition.

Q: What has been the best part of being involved in RJMV?

Hayley: Watching the sword-fighting!

Ben: I have zero fight experience, so the fight rehearsals have been awesome. I recently broke a wooden practice sword in rehearsal…

Q: What is something that most people don't know about you?

Hayley: I’m deaf. I’ve also won awards for my dancing.

Ben: I can speak a few phrases in multiple languages – Mandarin, less Cantonese, Farsi, Arabic, Russian, French… The phrase – the most important one I’ll ever use – is “Do you speak English?”

Q: What is your favorite Shakespearean play?

Hayley: I have a lot of favourites. I really like Romeo and Juliet,  A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Love’s Labour’s Lost – I saw it in London, England.

Ben: For me, it’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet – I like the angry parts.

Q: What does your future hold?

Hayley: I plan to do more theatre and more auditions.

Ben: I’m going to be a play with R. J. Downes Productions that’s loosely based on Ray Bradbury’s life, and we’ll doing for a weekend in Stratford, which is cool, cause I’ve never been there. Down the road, we plan to do some traveling – we have family out west.

Q: Why should people come and see RJMV?

Hayley: The dancing, the costumes, the sword-fights. If you love Shakespeare, come on over! If you like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, these shows are along those lines.

Ben: For anyone who’s ever wished to see me dead, now’s your chance! Come and see Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and his Brother Valentine – I die twice! I do die offstage in the second one. More seriously, there are a lot of good actors in these shows, I’m having a blast with the fight scenes, and Hayley’s dances are going well.

Hayley: Come see the work of a deaf choreographer!