A veteran Canadian stage actor collapsed and died while performing in a holiday production at an Alberta theater, leaving the arts community in mourning.

Julien Arnold, 60, experienced a medical emergency during an evening performance of “A Christmas Carol” at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta, on Sunday, November 24, 2024. Paramedics arrived at the theater around 8:28 p.m. but were unable to resuscitate him.

Arnold was performing multiple roles in the production, including Marley, Mr. Fezziwig, and Banjo. The production was scheduled to run through Christmas Eve.

A founding member of the Free Will Players theater company, which produces Edmonton’s annual Freewill Shakespeare Festival, Arnold had built a distinguished career spanning three decades. His extensive repertoire included roles in “The Wizard of Oz” as the Cowardly Lion, Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast,” and Bottom in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The Citadel Theatre announced that the remainder of this season’s “A Christmas Carol” performances would be dedicated to Arnold’s memory. “His presence brought joy, heart and depth to every role, and his artistic contributions – and big hugs – will be deeply missed,” the theater said in a statement.

Punctuate! Theatre, where Arnold’s wife Sheiny Satanove serves as managing director, released a statement remembering him as “a gifted performer” who died as he lived, “immersed in his passion for theatre.”

The theater community rallied to support Satanove through a fundraising campaign to assist with funeral costs, rent, groceries, and time away from work. The campaign has already raised over 55,000 Canadian dollars.