Julien Arnold, Canadian stage actor and founder of the theater company Free Will Players, died after experiencing a medical emergency while he was performing in the stage production of A Christmas Carol at Citadel Theaters on November 24.
According to CBC reports, citing a spokesperson for Alberta Health Services, the paramedics who arrived at the location tried to resuscitate the 60-year-old actor but to no avail, he was soon pronounced dead at the scene. There are no further details available on his cause of death.
In light of Arnold's passing Citadel Theatre announced via its Instagram account that it will dedicate this season's run of A Christmas Carol in the actor's memory. According to reports, Arnold played the role of Marley and Mr. Fezziwig in the play.
Following the actor's unexpected and shocking departure, a GoFundMe was set up to help his wife financially with "funeral costs, rent, groceries, and time off work to grieve". As of November 28, the GoFundMe has raised over CAD 55,468.
Sheiny Satanove who is Julien Arnold's wife, is also the managing director of Punctuate! Theatre. In their statement, posted on Instagram, Punctuate! Theatre expressed their shock and sorrow at the unexpected passing of the actor,
Julien was a cherished member of the Edmonton theatre community whose warmth, talent, and generosity touched so many lives. He leaves behind many loved ones including his loving wife, Sheiny Satanove, Punctuate! Theatre’s Managing Director, who now faces the immense challenge of moving forward without him.
Who is Julien Arnold?
Julien Arnold is a Canadian stage actor well-known in the Edmonton Theatre community. According to the Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, Julien lived till he was five in Tanzania but later moved to Edmonton, Canada.
He completed his bachelor of fine arts degree in 1989 from the University of Alberta and earned his MFA in directing again from the University of Alberta in 2006.
For Citadel Theatres he has played in various stage productions including A Christmas Carol, Wizard of the Oz, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sense and Sensibility, Twelfth Night, etc.
Julien Arnold was one of the founders of the 'not-for-profit' theatre company, Free Will Players. He also appeared in various productions of the theatre, like The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, etc.
In a statement to CBC, the directors of Citadel Theatre's executive director Jessie van Rijn, and artistic director Daryl Cloran said,
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His presence brought joy, heart and depth to every role, and his artistic contributions — and big hugs — will be deeply missed(...)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.
While thanking everyone for their support, they also informed the public that there would be slight changes in the timings of future performances.
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