The Shakespeare theater company Free Will Player was formed by Canadian stage actor Julien Arnold, who has Continue Reading
He passed away on November 24 after experiencing a medical emergency while performing A Christmas Carol at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre.
He was sixty years old. Although the details of his medical condition have not been made public, paramedics arrived at the theater at 8:28 p.m. and attempted many resuscitations on Arnold, who was performing in the performance as Marley, Mr. Fezziwig, Banjo, and a member of the ensemble.
Kerry Williamson, a spokesman for Alberta Health Services, informed CBC News on November 26 that he was ultimately pronounced d£@d at the scene.
In the wake of his death, the theater said it would be extending the run of its A Christmas Carol production through December 24 to give the actors and crew time to celebrate his departure.
Arnold played in plays like Sense and Sensibility, The Wizard of Oz, Twelfth Night, and The Taming of the Shrew during his decades-long career in theater.
He was a founder member of the theatrical group Free Will Players, which organized Edmonton's yearly Freewill Shakespeare Festival, and he performed on stage for organizations such as Citadel Theatre, Northern Light Theatre, and Workshop West Theatre.
Executive director Jessie van Rijn and artistic director Daryl Cloran of Citadel Theatre posted a touching statement on Arnold's influence on the acting community after his death.
"His presence brought joy, heart and depth to every role," they said in a statement to CBC News on Nov. 26, "and his artistic contributions—and big hugs—will be deeply missed."
Rijn and Cloran continued, "We are asking for some privacy and patience as we turn our attention to supporting family members, the Christmas Carol company, staff and patrons at this time."