Welcome back to 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 Radissen. I have two roles in RJMV – on the acting side, I play Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and his Brother Valentine, and on the production side, I am the lighting designer for the shows. I was a student at Queen’s, and now I work for Queen' s University as an admissions representative.

What's your theatre background?  –  I started out in high school shows – our high school was really active in theatre, so we had a lot of festivals and main-stage productions – so that was my introduction to it. I majored in Drama at Queen’s, and I've done a whole plethora of things in drama since then. I got involved in designing and directing in my last two years at Queen’s and fell in love with that, and I act on the side, so these shows are kind of a dream for me.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu Productions? – One of the best things about Impromptu is that they’re a community theatre group that bridges the gap between Town and Gown. After leaving Queen’s, I was wondering where my place was in the Kingston community theatre scene, and I knew Impromptu prided itself on being a community theatre group that also engage students, so I thought about going out for the shows. I also had a lot of friends who were thinking of auditioning. I got in, and ever since then it's been great working with everyone - students, young adults and adults all trying to make Kingston a better community for the arts.

What has been the best part of the RJMV process for you so far? –The best part has been the cast and having a cast dynamic. You'll see it on stage, I'm sure, when you see anyone acting and having a good time. There are party scene and a lot of passion in these plays, and part of that comes from how everyone interacts with each other. It's why you love theatre, because you don't get those interactions normally - it's something that comes from a close group of people. As the cast get closer, you find that everyone starts to form that kind of bond and then show it on stage.

What is the best idea you've had so far for your portrayal of Benvolio? – Benvolio is the best friend - he's the kind of guy who just wants everything to go well, but of course in Romeo and Juliet, everything does not go well. Figuring out how Benvolio deals with that and tries to keep things together has been a highlight.

What about in your role as lighting designer? – Creating romantic moments. You know, you watch "Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid and Sebastian brings in percussion, and then strings and all that, it's really cool because he ties different elements together to create a mood, and that's kind of how I see lighting working with these shows. On its own, it's just lighting -it's just a light that comes on - but with the acting and the music layered on top, and everyone bringing their production elements together, it will be really great to see it all come together and be part of creating those classic love story moments that Romeo and Juliet needs.

What role does Benvolio play in Mercutio and his Brother Valentine, if that's not giving too much away? – One of the best things about the shows is that they are two parallel plays - their plots happen simultaneously, and in some ways they do intersect, so there are cool moments like that. In terms of how Benvolio fits into the whole scheme, as in Romeo and Juliet, he's a good friend and he's trying to keep things together , but you really get to see another side – the  Mercutio side. In Romeo and Juliet, when Mercutio gets injured by Tybalt ... that’s not really a spoiler; if you don’t know Romeo and Juliet, we’ve got to fix that, so come see the show! Mercutio gets injured, and Mercutio and Benvolio go off stage and you wonder what's happening, so to have this other play - Mercutio and his Brother Valentine - that shows you Benvolio and Mercutio's relationship, it's kind of cool to be able to see that and understand that these two very different characters are really close as well.

What is something that most people don't know about you? – I applied to be on Survivor, actually. I made it through to the personality quiz section, at which point they found out I was actually Canadian and not American, and... I did not make it onto Survivor. It was so close, and I would have been so great! You apply with an audition tape, and from the tape they’re, like, “This person might be good,” and then they want to know what kind of personality you have,  and then you have to go for interview. I'm a big fan of the show, so I was kind of bummed, but at the same time I was happy that I had a hope.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why? – I am obsessed with the Tower of London - it's one of my favourite places on earth, very near and dear to my heart – and one of the greatest stories that I've always had a big obsession with is the story of the Princes in the Tower – Edward V and his brother,  Richard. I've always wanted to know the truth about, so I'd love to meet the two of them, or even just one of them, just to find out if someone killed them, who did it, and if they are currently buried at the Tower and the Queen just isn't letting us find them.

What is your favorite Shakespearean play? – I have a love/hate relationship with Shakespeare, but my favorite Shakespearean play would have to be Othello, just because I’m obsessed with Iago – and I know that makes me sound like a dark, creepy person, but his journey and how he goes about trying to manipulate things is something I always loved.

What does your future hold? – I had honestly thought I'd just do theatre on the side, but then I saw this amazing musical and its rekindled that spark to do theatre again, so I really, really want to do something with my life in theatre - but we'll see what happens in the future. One of the best things is that your life can go different ways and you might not even see it coming!

Why should people come and see RJMV? – First of all, come out and support local theatre. Sometimes it pays off in a big way and you see something truly amazing  - and  to have these things available to you from the people in your community, and to have it right on your doorstep, is a privilege that a lot of people in a lot of places don't have. So get out there - you might see something incredibly amazing for very cheap cost compared to what theatre costs professionally! With Shakespeare, it might be your first time hearing a story, and instead of reading Shakespeare, which can sometimes be kind of dull, you get to see it acted out, which is a different experience altogether. With RJMV, Impromptu is offering two great shows - Romeo and Juliet is a classic play, and you can't go wrong with a great love story. You can bring your partner, or you can bring a friend whom you want to be your partner, or you can bring a friend you just want to stay a friend, or your mom, or anyone else! By coming out to see Mercutio and his Brother Valentine, you'll also be supporting local artists who are trying to break new ground. It's a really cool story, and you rarely get to see Shakespearean parallels, so come out and see it from your perspective; see if you agree with what's being said and how it ties into Shakespeare's text. It's always cool when you see a play and figure out how various elements fit in, and these shows will give you a lot of opportunities to do that. If you know one story, hopefully it will only make you love the other more.