Welcome to the second of our weekly interviews with cast and crew! Check back every week for another behind-the-scenes look at Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and His Brother Valentine (RJMV).

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Who are you? – My name is Jennifer Verardi. I’m playing Juliet in the shows and I’m a third year graphic design student at St. Lawrence College. I’ve been acting in the Kingston community now for seven years and I‘m really excited to have another opportunity to act. I guess I would call Kingston my home now, but I was actually born in Timmins, Ontario and moved here when I was about nine.

What’s your theatre background? – I started in high school just like many others. I did Theatre Complete for a year (at QECVI) and have been doing shows in the community ever since. I’ve been involved with Domino, Theatre 5, Theatre Kingston, and Impromptu Productions. The last production I was in was also with Impromptu Productions. I played Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. It was so much fun to have the show outside and be a part of Shakespeare in the Park.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu Productions? – Last year, a friend of mine that I was working with in King’s Town Players recommended the Merry Wives of Windsor auditions. I have been keeping tabs on the group ever since, as they are great to work with; they are fun, dedicated, and smart. And that passion that they have… I love that and feed off of it.

What has been the best part of RJMV so far? – I grew up reading Romeo and Juliet. It was the story I read the most. Now, the best part is being able to study it from an adult perspective. I can really dig deep into Juliet’s character and discover new things about her. She’s not such a damsel in distress. She’s much deeper than I thought.

What is something that most people don’t know about you? – I have a lot of hobbies. I paint, draw, play video games, juggle, do photography, and watch a lot of movies. I’m never a bored person. I’ve always got stuff to do.

Are you a big Shakespeare fan? What’s your favourite Shakespearean play? – I am a big Shakespeare fan! When I was young, my mom started me on little kid books. It was Shakespeare for children…kind of dumbed down, but you got the gist of the story. One day she graduated me to a full Romeo and Juliet script. I’d say Romeo and Juliet is my favourite but Cymbeline is a close second.

What does your future hold? – I’ll be graduating soon. I hope to venture to Toronto just to spread my wings and sort of see where the wind takes me. 

Why should people come and see RJMV? – That’s a great question! Because we’re creating two shows, one being Romeo and Juliet and the other being Mercutio and His Brother Valentine, the audience is in an interesting position to connect the dots between them. I wish I could be in the audience! It’s really quite an exciting opportunity for the audience members and a great reason to check out both shows.