rjmv-show-blog

A Five-Minute Chat with... Ryan Armstrong

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:16:39 +0100

Welcome to our last behind-the-scenes look at Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and His Brother Valentine (RJMV)! Don't miss the shows, running April 17-20 and 24-27 at the Rotunda Theatre!

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Who are you? – My name is Ryan Armstrong. I’m from Toronto, and I play Romeo in both Romeo and Juliet, and Mercutio and His brother Valentine.

What’s your theatre background? – I started doing theatre when I was in grade 5. I auditioned for an elementary school production of Oklahoma! – it was one of those fun things where everyone got cast – and it was really fun. From there, I went on to do a bunch of plays in middle school, and then a bunch more in high school. Coming to Queen’s, I joined Vagabond Theatre, which I have been a part of for three years. They do mostly Shakespeare shows so with Vagabond, specifically Shakespeare, I’ve done Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, and As You Like It. It was funny: Impromptu did Much Ado About Nothing in City Park the year after I was in Vagabond’s indoor production, which was very fun to see.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu Productions? – My housemate Reese, who was in Vagabond with me, was in Impromptu’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, so I went to see him in it and it was great show. The following summer, I was in Kingston and I knew Impromptu was doing another outdoor show, so I auditioned for that and got the role of Master Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

What has been the best part of RJMV so far? – I think the best part is probably the challenge it’s presented. I get to play the epitome of the stereotypical lead role, and coming into it I had a very naive, younger sense of what Romeo and Juliet was because I – and probably most people – have sort of known what it’s about since I was young. But reading it again, and coming at it from an actor’s perspective, I found Romeo to be far more complex than I initially thought him to be: he has a much bigger range of emotions and a bigger range of characteristics. I’ve found he embodies almost every human characteristic. He is villainous at points: he gets angry and tyrannous. But he’s also gentle at points, and loving and dreaming. So playing this character has been a huge challenge. Trying to mix the whole range together has definitely been interesting.

Do you want to share any particular moment on epiphany you’ve had while exploring the character of Romeo? Anything in terms of how he has developed throughout the play? – Yeah, a moment that sticks out for me is when Romeo is in Mantua. It’s Act V, scene one. He’s had a dream that Juliet has come to him and he’s dead and Juliet has kissed him and he’s come back to life, and it’s a beautiful dream, so he’s happy, and hopeful for the future. Then Balthazar shows up and gives him the news that Juliet is in Capulet’s tomb, implying that she’s dead. In this moment, I realise, Romeo is not just devastated that his wife has died – the weight of everything that he has been through comes crashing down on him in this one moment: there’s the weight of losing his wife; there’s the weight of exile; there’s the weight of his father’s conflict with the Capulets; there’s the weight of Mercutio’s death. Everything just piles on top of him and he goes to a dark, dark place - and that’s really interesting to play.

On a lighter note, what is the funniest thing that has happened in rehearsal? – I’m not sure which scene it’s in, but at one point Graham Banville, who plays Mercutio, straddles Radissen, who plays Benvolio. I’m not in the scene, so I’ve always watched it in rehearsal, and it’s hilarious.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, factual or fictional, who would it be and why? – That’s tough. King Arthur would be cool - just dining with him and having a feast.

Are you a big Shakespeare fan? What’s your favourite play by Shakespeare? – My favourite Shakespeare play is Macbeth. I love Macbeth – I think it’s absolutely fantastic. The progression of the play is great. It’s kind of weird, but I like dark plays. I also love how the protagonist is the villain, so you get the whole villain’s story, which is cool.

What does your future hold? – I’m finishing up my undergraduate degree right now and moving back to Toronto once I’m done. I’m looking into some talent agencies – I’m hoping to find an agent for film and screen to continue my acting career. I’m also working on a low-key theatre production with a friend. It’s in the very early stages of development but we want to put together individual performances that we’re going to do over the summer. The idea is an audience member walks into a booth – it’s like a photo booth, it’s very small – and they sit across from a performer and get a private performance. In this performance, because it’s so close, so personal, I’ve found that you really get a relationship going with the other person and it affects you to a much greater extent than if you were sitting in an audience with 300 other people.

Why should people come and see RJMV? – People should come see the shows because they might have certain assumptions about Romeo and Juliet, like I did - you know, it’s your typical love story, it’s very flowery, and people, I think, tend to be sickened by that sometimes. But to me, Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and His Brother Valentine bring a lot more than that to the table. Obviously, Shakespeare is Shakespeare, and Clayton has done a great job with Mercutio and His Brother Valentine. You don’t just get the love-y dove-y bits; you get real human relationship. There’s conflict of great magnitude, with the two households fighting each other. It’s not just about Romeo and Juliet. It’s about the entire city. It’s about revenge; it’s about love; it’s about deceit; it’s about the Fates. It’s about brothers and family. You get a lot of different themes mixing in one performance, and if you see both shows, you’ll get even more out of it. Every audience member will find something different that they can latch onto and connect with in their own personal lives.

A Five-Minute Chat with... Signy Lynch

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:54:47 +0100

Welcome back to our interviews with cast and crew! Opening night is only two days away, so check back tomorrow for one last 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 Signy Lynch, and I am a third-year Queen’s Drama and Psychology student. I am from Kingston, and I’m playing Rosaline in Mercutio and his Brother Valentine.

What’s your theatre background? – I did drama camp when I was little, so I’ve been doing it for a while. I really like all forms of theatre, but especially plays, and particularly Shakespeare, and I’ve been doing a lot of that stuff in KIngston. I’m also Co-Artistic Director of Vagabond Theatre right now, which is great. Vagabond is the Queen’s campus Shakespeare company – it’s a little more campus-specific than Impromptu.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu Productions? – Well, I was finishing up a production of Macbeth with Vagabond, and I thought I should do some acting again because I’ve been more involved with production for the past little while. I saw a poster for the RJMV auditions, and I’d enjoyed some of Impromptu’s summer productions in the past, so I auditioned and got in, which is wonderful!

What has been the best part of Romeo and Juliet/Mercutio and his Brother Valentine so far? – That’s tough, because it’s all been great, but probably the cast and crew. It’s a really, really great group, and we have a lot of fun in rehearsals – and work hard too – and hopefully that translates into the finished product.

What has it been like learning about Rosaline as a character? Have there been any epiphanies? – It’s been really interesting because you hear her talked about in Romeo and Juliet, but you don’t get to see her until Mercutio and his Brother Valentine. You take some of what Mercutio and Romeo say about her, but then there’s also a lot about the character that you get from her interactions with other characters, so in that way, she’s a really fun character to play. If you’re playing Hamlet, everybody’s done it before, and already been written and you have everything there, whereas I get to experiment a little bit more. I am the first person who gets to play Rosaline, and tell her side of the story.

What is the funniest thing that’s happened in rehearsal? – Well, our brilliant stage management team started a new system to keep the cast in line. We have an ‘inappropriate behaviour jar’ where it’s 50 cents for swear words and $2 for inappropriate references., and I think they’ve raised about $20 so far, so that gives you a picture of our rehearsal process. But it’s been great – rehearsal is always fun, and it’s always funny, which is wonderful, because I’ve been in shows where it wasn’t as fun.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why? – There are so many people that I’d like to meet, but I’d probably want to meet Dwight Frye. He’s a horror movie actor from the 1930s, and he originated all the creepy assistant roles, like Igor in Frankenstein and Renfield in Dracula, so he’s a pioneer in the field, if you will. I really enjoy playing creepy roles – in high school, I played a stalker in one play and a necrophiliac in the next – so it’d be fun to have a chat with him about that.

Are you a big Shakespeare fan? What’s your favourite Shakespearean play? – It changes, depending on which one I’ve had the most contact with recently. This week, it’s Measure for Measure – it’s hilarious, but also intensely problematic, and I really like that. It explores conflicts of the human soul, and it’s very relevant to now, so you should all go read it.

What does your future hold? – More theatre! I have another year of university ahead of me, and then potentially grad school, but there will definitely be more theatre.

Why should people come and see RJMV? – It’s a really great experiment, I think, because you have two shows about the same characters and the same places, but they offer different perspectives. When Stratford did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Hamlet in repertory in the ‘80s, that was a new sort of experiment, and this is a similar sort of thing. You can’t get that if you just see one, so come and see both! Also, see both if you’re curious about who Rosaline is!

Production Update #4

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:26:45 +0100

Well the time has finally arrived! We are less than a week away from RJMV – Romeo and Juliet opens Wednesday, and Mercutio and His Brother Valentine opens Thursday! It is certainly a busy time for cast and crew, who are all working hard to put on a great show for all of you!

Romeo and Juliet runs April 17, 19, 20, 25 at 8pm, with a 2pm matinee on April 27.

Mercutio and His Brother Valentine runs April 18, 24, 26, 27 at 8pm, with a 2pm matinee on April 20.

Both shows take place in the Rotunda Theatre at Queen’s Theological Hall. If you haven’t got your tickets yet, they’re still available at Tricolour Outlet and Novel Idea, and can also be purchased at the door, where audience members of all ages will be entitled to the two-show package price ($30/$25 students and seniors) or upgrades from a single ticket to the package price.

Intensive rehearsals have been going well, and now the cast is ready to launch into tech week! In the past couple of weeks, music and props have been finalized and used in each rehearsal. We also finally got our hands on real stage swords and the cast have been diligently practicing the fight scenes with them to everyone’s entertainment. So far, everyone has survived! If you want a sneak peek at some of the fight sequences, check out this teaser trailer by John Geddes, who also plays Prince Escalus. As for music, it’s fitting very nicely within the flow of the show and all that’s left is to flesh out the intermission and preshow music.

Costuming is also coming along well. After visiting local theatre companies and thrift stores to peruse their costumes, Katie has acquired some neat and flashy (and cheap) upholstery for tunics, and she and her team are currently working on adding braiding and ribbons to fancy them up and on finishing dresses for the ladies.

As for publicity, we currently have a ticket giveaway contest running on Facebook, and you have until Tuesday evening to enter to win! We are also preparing for local reviewers, who will be attending dress rehearsals early next week and hopefully writing some great stuff about the shows! Finally, we’ll be setting up our window display at Novel Idea tomorrow, so hopefully you’ll get a chance to see it as you walk around downtown Kingston!

If you’d like to get involved with our next show, Love’s Labour’s Lost (August 2012 in City Park), we are accepting applications for production positions until April 30^th, and open auditions will take place May 4-6. More information is available here.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we’ll see you at the theatre!

A Five-Minute Chat with... Katie McNeill

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:00:57 +0100

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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Who are you? – My name is Katie McNeill. I am the costume designer for RJMV. I was born and raised in Kingston and currently sell high fashion clothing in a local store. I’m also a burlesque dancer in Kingston. My stage name is Kiki KaBang and you can find me on Twitter.

What’s your theatre background? – I do burlesque costuming and a lot of performance artist clothing. This is my second time working with Impromptu. I was also involved in The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2012. Besides that, I did some improv in high school.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu Productions? – Matt [the Director] gave me his big doe eyes and asked if I would costume for him. I knew him through a friend of mine who also does burlesque.

What has been the best part of Romeo and Juliet/Mercutio and his Brother Valentine so far? – Definitely watching the fight scenes and the dance scenes. I even got to dance at one of the rehearsals because there was someone absent.

What is something that most people don’t know about you? – Every summer I disappear off to Toronto and go to nerd conventions and dress up in costumes.

Are you a big Shakespeare fan? What’s your favourite Shakespearean play? – I know nothing about Shakespeare, but fortunately I’m dating someone who does. However, I do have a favourite play: Twelfth Night.

How is the costuming going? – It has been extremely challenging, as I’ve had to completely recreate/redesign Italian Renaissance costumes to fit strict restrictions. In order to deal with these, I’ve had to be more creative with my designs, allowing for budget and time constraints, yet making sure they still resemble the correct period. I’ve had to watch a lot of episodes of The Tudors.

What does your future hold? – Hmmm. A float off on a cloud of glitz and glam… and someday you’ll find me doing costuming in New York.

Why should people come and see RJMV? – Come and broaden your horizons! Romeo and Juliet is great Shakespearean play, and Mercutio and his Brother Valentine is pretty interesting, too, as you can get more information about some of the characters in Romeo and Juliet. Also, I’ve heard the fight scenes are going to be wicked.

A Five-Minute Chat with... Hayley and Ben Hudson

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:28:21 +0100

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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!

A Five-Minute Chat with... John Geddes

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:53:26 +0100

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Who are you? – John Geddes. I play Prince Escalus, ruler of Verona and uncle to Mercutio. In my real life, I’m a family physician. I have lived in Kingston for 25 years and have three kids and five grandchildren. I’ve worked in Bosnia and Africa - I have a charity I work with and travel to Africa quite regularly.

What’s your theatre background? – Well, you know, in grade three - I was the Mel Gibson of grade three - I wrote, directed, and starred in The Emperor’s New Clothes. I’ve been doing community theatre for years where I’ve acted, directed, and done lots of backstage stuff.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu Productions? – Well, I like Shakespeare and I’ve worked with both Matt (Director) and Clayton Garrett (Playwright). Last year I saw The Merry Wives of Windsor and thought it was a nice production, and that gave me some appeal to the company. I travel a lot so it’s hard to fit in acting, but it just so happened that this show came at a time I knew I was around. Also, I’ve seen Mercutio and his Brother Valentine as Clay has been writing it and it has always had some appeal to me. So when I found out it was being done, I thought it would be fun to try. I also love Romeo and Juliet and played Capulet a few years ago at the Grand Theatre.

What has been the best part of RJMV so far? – Well, it’s always fun to watch a production grow. You start with a lot of disorganization and stammering over lines and awkward movements. Then it gradually smoothes out. So it has been fun to watch the shows come to the point that they’re now at. It’s like creating a painting – it starts with a blank canvas and you don’t know what it will look like, and then it starts to come together. I think it’s the same with theatre.

What is something that most people don’t know about you? – Probably most people don’t know that I have as good a sense of humour as I do. I think people think I’m stern. In these shows, I have a bossy and stern part. So I think people think that’s who I am in real life and, in fact, it’s not.

Are you a big Shakespeare fan? What’s your favourite Shakespearean play? – Yes, yes, yes. I really like King Lear. And I like The Tempest. I think I tend to be more of a tragedies kind of guy than a comedies guy.

What does your future hold? – Oh, I don’t know. I don’t have a crystal ball. That’s a question for the 20 year olds.

Why should people come and see RJMV? – I hope people will put the effort into seeing both plays because I think they will get a different interpretation of Romeo and Juliet than they are used to. Mercutio and his Brother Valentine changes the interpretation of Romeo and Juliet in a way. So it’s neat. Plus Mercutio and his Brother Valentine is the first performance of a work by a local playwright, so it’s important to support that.

Production Update #3

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 03:58:49 +0100

With just two and a half weeks to the first curtain call, the cast, crew, and production team of Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and his Brother Valentine have been very busy and we have lots of news to share.

We are happy to say that we now have a full cast as well as two enthusiastic Stage Managers who are splitting the work of managing two shows. Director Matt reports that rehearsals are going very well, and if you take a look at our Facebook page or the show page on this site, you’ll find rehearsal photos, including lots of exciting sword fight scenes.

Speaking of swords, our props head Olivia has been working on acquiring swords and will also be making a final visit to the Impromptu Productions storage unit to get various props. We've already obtained masks for the Capulets’ masquerade ball, which features prominently in the plots of both shows, and they look fantastic!

Now that the show has taken a more concrete form, there has been lots of dialogue between Matt and our lighting and sound designers, Radissen and Tristan. They will all be working together closely over the next couple of weeks as we head into opening nights for both shows. For more details on the lighting design, feel free to check out our recent interview with Radissen.

The publicity team has been very busy interviewing cast and crew, organizing ticket sales, putting up posters, and advertising around town. On April 14^th, we will be setting up a window display in the downtown bookstore Novel Idea – it promises to be pretty awesome, so please keep an eye out for it (and don’t forget that single tickets to either show can be purchased there)! We are also starting to work on the program, and are currently accepting ads: if you are interested in advertizing with us, please drop us a line by April 7^th.

If you are interested in being a part of the production team for our August 2013 Shakespeare in the Park production of Love’s Labour’s Lost, directed by Keavy Lynch, we are looking to fill the following positions

- Assistant Director
- Stage Manager
- ASM
- Publicity Head
- Poster Designer
- Head of Wardrobe
- Head of Props

If interested, please submit a brief statement indicating your qualifications/experience and summer availability (May through August) to impromptukingston@gmail.com by April 30^th. Auditions will be held in early May – details to come.

Finally, don’t forget to get your tickets for RJMV! Single tickets are $20/$18 students and seniors, and can be purchased at Novel Idea, or at Tricolour Outlet (students and seniors only). If you’re keen to see both shows, Tricolour Outlet has two-show packages available to students and seniors for only $25, and single tickets and two-show packages for all ages ($30 adults, $25 students/seniors) can also be purchased in advance through a member of cast or crew. Tickets and packages will also be available at the door, and patrons who display a ticket stub from one show when buying a ticket to the other at the door will also be eligible for the two‐show package price. To pick your shows, please refer to the performance calendar below:

See you at the theatre!

A Five-Minute Chat with... Radissen Ramoutar

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:31:08 +0100

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.

A Five-Minute Chat with... John Farant

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:20:43 +0100

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? – John Farant. Also known as Capulet. I’m from Ottawa and came here to practice law in 1991. I’ve been in the community since then, although I now live just north of Kingston in Yarker. I have a wife and three kids who are 19, 16 and 8. My eldest goes to Queen’s and is majoring in drama. I also love history, politics, and food.

What’s your theatre background? – I got into it through my daughter. My first role was in a play called The Butler, back in 2008 – she was the stage director. Then 3 years later I heard about auditions for Oliver! and I tried out and they gave me the role of Bumble. Ever since then I’ve been consistently involved in theatre and have taken acting courses with Bottle Tree Productions. This past fall I was cast as Lazar Wolf in the Meistersingers production of Fiddler on the Roof and over the holiday break I was asked to be a Santa Claus. I just love it – I love acting and theatre. The only experience I had before then was in high school where I did some plays and musicals in secondary roles. This is the first time I’ve done Shakespeare and I’m very excited to play Capulet – he’s such a strong character.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu Productions? – I heard about this production through my daughter. I went to the audition shortly after closing night of Fiddler on the Roof and they chose me as Capulet.

What has been the best part of RJMV so far? – Just seeing people react to things you’re doing, hearing people say their lines and seeing people reacting to your line. It’s so intense. Like nothing I’ve done yet. It’s very new and different and it has been wonderful. I really enjoy Matt’s direction.

What is something that most people don’t know about you? – Probably that I like war games. I’m into miniature toy soldiers, moving them around on a board, and painting them. I also love railroad modelling – I’m trying to rehabilitate a set my grandfather gave to me. I’m also a nut about American football! And I’m a good cook when I try.

Are you a big Shakespeare fan? What’s your favourite Shakespearean play? – Lately, I’ve been going to Stratford every year. I used to just take my daughter but last year I took my whole family. I have a collection of Shakespeare films that I’m always building on. I especially like the more unusual ones. I have the whole collection of BBC films and I just can’t get enough of them. I always liked Shakespeare and looked up to him, but since going to Stratford in 2008 for the first time, it’s really been an important part of my life. As for favourites, I will say the first play that came to my mind, which is Henry V. My favourite Shakespearean character of all is Falstaff.

What does your future hold? – I hope to do more acting and I’m even looking into getting an agent. I’m really excited about it! I’m also hoping to produce a production of Lion in Winter in the fall. It’s a dramady set in the late 1100’s about the last years of a king’s reign. My daughter may be the director.

Why should people come and see RJMV? – Because they will see a group of people who – besides acting in a premiere production – are also bringing a very original approach to Romeo and Juliet. The audience will get to see a fun and fresh version of it. I believe it really is something special and different. It will be lots of fun!

A Five-Minute Chat with... Hilary Taynen

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:32:23 +0100

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’s Hilary; I’m a student at Queen’s. I study drama and psychology, and do theatre things and choir things. I’m playing the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet.

What’s your theatre background? – I was in a play in grade 6 and got a big role, and was completely thrilled – that was my first taste of things. It was super small – in a church basement – but that was how things started. I took drama in high school and loved it, and then ended up taking it in first year university and loved that, and ended up majoring in it – now medial.

How and why did you get involved with Impromptu? – I got involved with Impromptu last year through Renata Colwell. We were having drinks with our choir, and she mentioned to me that they needed a stage manager for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, so I said “I’ll apply, but I’ve never stage-managed before,” and I got it! It was crazy, and I had no idea what I was doing, but it went well.

What has been the best part of RJMV for you so far? – Yesterday’s rehearsal was the first time I was there with the whole cast. We were doing the party scene from Romeo and Juliet, and it was really great to see the chemistry between all the cast members. Working with director Matt Davis is awesome – I’ve worked with him on backstage stuff before, but I’ve never actually been able to have him direct me as an actor, so that’s going to be a really great challenge for me. Doing my scenes with Ryan [Armstrong, playing Romeo] is also going to be great – he’s got so much energy that it’s going to be fun playing off that.

What is the best idea you’ve had for the Nurse so far? Any ‘aha!’ moments? – Well, I’m sort of new to the cast, so the Nurse is in the beginning stages for me. My first ‘aha’, which was something that came from Matt, is that she has possibly had a little thing with Capulet, because he’s a bit of a ladies’ man. I’ve also been thinking about her past and how she lost a child and a husband pretty tragically, and how that makes her connection to Juliet that much stronger, because Juliet is almost the only family that she has left.

What is something that most people don’t know about you? – I used to take diving lessons when I was in elementary school – that’s one random fact. I’m Finnish – I’ve got a Finnish last name. And my great-great-great-great-grandfather was the mayor of Toronto.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why? – My aunt. She died years ago, and she was awesome.

What is your favourite Shakespearean play? – Richard III and Romeo and Juliet. Richard III was my first spark into Shakespeare, because I had a really great teacher in grade 10 who explained it to me, and I’ve had a fondness for that play ever since. It was the first one I really understood. And Romeo and Juliet is just a gorgeous classic with so much passion and tragedy and all the stuff that’s great in theatre.

What does your future hold? – The plan is to finish my undergraduate degree, and then I’m probably going to pursue a Masters in counseling or social work, and hopefully work with kids. Other than that, it’s a mystery!

Why should people come and see RJMV? – Impromptu is a wonderful new theatre company that has been doing great things, we’ve got an incredible cast, and having two shows in rotation is really interesting, so if people can get out to see both, they’ll really play off each other in interesting ways. Everyone involved is really fantastic, and that should make for a great pair of shows!