(photo credit: Pierre Gautreau)
Be careful what you wish for though, because sometimes your dreams can be larger than you imagined.
by Christopher Douglas
Winner of the 2012 Dora Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female in a musical, Arlene Duncan is a woman of many talents. Ranging from her stage roles where she sings and dances, Ms Duncan also has numerous film and television credits including the recently-wrapped sixth season of Little Mosque on the Prairie. As if that’s not enough, she also taught herself Wordpress to redesign her website.
Sitting down with the talented Ms Duncan over an iced tea, I wasn’t sure if I’d get somber Fatima or sullen Caroline. Since Arlene flashed that first smile, our interview flew past as we laughed and chatted.
CHARPO: After your successes on film and television, what made you return to theatre and – more specifically – to Caroline, or Change?
DUNCAN: I wanted to come back to the theatre. I mean, I missed the music and everything. I love to sing and dance and this show would be a chance to work that muscle again. But theatre is disciplined in a way that film and television isn’t. Theatre has an immediacy to it, the thrill and the energy and the reactions of the audience, that allows you to have control of the character in a different way; from night to night, you have to roll with how the character might subtly shift.
Be careful what you wish for though, because sometimes your dreams can be larger than you imagined. I put it into the wind that I would love to do theatre again and that I hoped an amazing part would come along. Then Caroline appeared and she was one of those roles.
