Emily Duncan and Stefan Lane have lived in their small 1907 villa in North East Valley for 10 years. They feel very fortunate during the lockdown to be in a sunny, warm house with fruit trees, a vegetable garden and views over the valley.
Something that drives me a bit crazy is that you really like a good clean-out. Nothing that doesn’t have a reason for being where it is gets put away or thrown out. Is there anything you regret having thrown out?
This past year when I was writing my memoir during the Burns Fellowship I very much regretted throwing out the journal I’d kept in New York as a 19-year-old. When I was packing to leave Manhattan and needed to cram as much as I could into my suitcase, it got tossed in favour of my Samuel French scripts, which seems so short-sighted now but at the time I didn’t see the value in that writing.
It could be said that our life at this house is marked by projects. Most of them constructed by me from your concept drawings. Do you have a favourite project?
First of all, those concept drawings are proof that no-one should be limited by their inability to read a ruler. If I had to choose a favourite, it would be the brickwork that you’ve started in the garden at the front of the house. I’m really looking forward to you completing this once we can go out and buy more mortar and concrete.
I do 99.9% of the cooking. If I wasn’t here, how would you eat?
It’s not that I can’t cook, more that I don’t enjoy it and rarely do I enjoy what I cook. And the whole process for me is like stage managing a live show for which I don’t know what happens.
Also, you’re really, really good at cooking and I’d hate to step on your toes.
Is there a journey you’d like to take again?
Before the events of the past several months, I would’ve said our 2006 trip to Italy. The art history geek in me had a lot more exploring to do in the short time we had there. I didn’t get my fill of frescos, that’s for sure.
We have no shortage of cameras or access to them. Will you be making any real effort to learn how to use one in the near future?
I’d like to think that my best me would. But who are we kidding?
EMILY DUNCAN
Emily is a writer, dramaturg and director. Stefan also writes and works as a camera salesman by day. Emily does much of her work at home, while Stefan has done much of the work around the home and garden, with much directing (not all welcome or necessary) by Emily.
