Stage Review - Anne of Green Gables (Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts)
Stage Review - Anne of Green Gables
Presented By: Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts - Marysville, WA
Show Run: February 28 - March 16, 2025
Date Reviewed: Sunday, March 02, 2025 (Opening Weekend)
Run Time: 2 Hours, 45 Minutes (including a 15 minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
How many of us grew up with the story of Anne of Green Gables? It doesn’t matter if you were a boy or a girl, at some point, you probably came across Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 novel, or perhaps the 1985 Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) miniseries and its sequels starring Megan Follows as Anne Shirley, the Anne of the Green Gables. The book itself was inspired by Montgomery’s own childhood, not her own experiences, but rather her observations, including notes she took about two siblings who were sent an orphan girl instead of a boy and decided to keep her. Adding her own memories of growing up in Prince Edward Island to the setting of the story, as well as some other influences, and the story of Matthew Cuthbert, who travels from the Green Gables house he shares with his sister Marilla to pick up an orphan boy to help with work around their farm but instead is greeted by the vivacious Anne Shirley, starts to take shape. It’s a story that has taken on a life of its own, the novel having been translated into multiple languages, with film, radio, and television versions produced over the years, and it’s become an industry unto itself on PEI, bringing in a good number of tourists to the island. Additionally, more than a few stage adaptations have been produced of the popular story, including a 2009 version by Peter Delaurier, this particular one having been chosen to run on stage at Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts in Marysville, in a show directed by Diane Jamieson and featuring Hazel Weber as Anne Shirley, this particular play running through March 16.
For fans of the story, regardless of the medium, the Red Curtain production is a satisfying stage version, it hits all of the familiar plot points, beginning with Anne Shirley’s arrival in Avonlea and the decision by the Cuthberts to keep her around, mostly championed by Matthew, despite her not being able to help as much around the property as a boy would have been in their minds, and all the way through her becoming the teacher at the local school. In between, there are the challenges in her relationship with Marilla, her coming to terms with her feelings, or lack thereof, for schoolmate Gilbert Blythe, and the adventures Anne and her friends experience through her overactive imagination. The play, which at its heart is about family, belonging, the freedom of imagination, and the importance of home, is funny and sweet, and enjoyable for the whole family. For those not familiar with the story, the presentation of it may feel a bit choppy, it feels very cinematic in the way it is told, short scene followed by short scene. But it’s also the way the book is laid out, so while it may seem a bit disjointed, the presentation is true to how the original story was constructed. That said, expediting some of the scene changes could make this less so, and if there is a way to make the wheels a bit quieter on the set pieces that roll on and off the stage during these changes, it could make some of the changes feel less noticeable.
Regarding the set, Scott B. Randall’s scenic design does a nice job in capturing the essence of Green Gables, the predominance of the set is the Cuthbert’s house, and the ancillary pieces, representing the Avonlea post office, railway station, carriage, etc, do a nice job complementing the storytelling. The house itself is rustic, and with props curated by Paula Van Dalen and Courtney Calkins it feels like what one could envision as the house Anne grew up in. The home set is built in two levels, the downstairs represents the kitchen and dining area, while the upstairs is Anne’s bedroom, providing stairs on which Anne can easily stomp up in frustration at her caretakers. I’m starting to see a pattern in Scott’s designs, between this show and the last, A View From the Bridge, he builds flow into his designs, something in this case director Diane Jamieson uses extensively, moving her actors through the house, from inside the house to outside and vice versa. Scott is also the ligthting designer for the show, and his work is mostly subtle, but it turns dramatic when it needs to.
The set, and all of the design elements in this production of Anne of Green Gables are really just the backdrop for the transportive acting that takes the audience to Prince Edward Island, to Green Gables, and to the tale of Anne Shirley. This all starts with Hazel Weber’s performance as Anne. Hazel is refreshing and light as Anne Shirley, she plays the young orphan wonderfully, embodying the enthusiastic girl with the overactive imagination. She plays her with a good amount of drama, but in the most humorous way (in that Anne is overly dramatic in almost every aspect of her life), however the most impressive part about Hazel’s acting is how she transforms as Anne gets older, her increasing maturity is clear, she becomes more serious about her life and her relationships while still being the same Anne Shirley underneath. This is also represented in Becca Brunelle’s costuming of Anne, which starts very plain when she first arrives at Green Gables and then undergoes its own metamorphosis that maches Anne’s character development. Becca’s costumes across the board are very nicely done, from the Cuthbert’s more durable attire for working on the farm to some of the bigger dresses worn by the ladies of Avonlea. The Cuthberts, played by Carissa Smit (Marilla) and Jay Vilhauer (Matthew), are a contrast in characters. Marissa is more resistent to Anne’s arrival, worried for her brother’s health and knowing that more help is needed on the farm, while Matthew is appreciative of the fresh energy that Anne has brought to the household. Carissa and Jay are both very good in these roles, she especially in Marilla’s initial resistance but eventual acceptance of Anne, and her opening up emotionally as part of it, and him in his enthusiasm and outward demonstration of love for their new housemate. It’s fun watching Hazel’s work as Anne and then Carissa’s and Jay’s reactions as each of their characters to each of these situations.
The rest of the cast is filled with nice performances as well. Anne’s friends, especially Diana Barry, played by Bethany Dankwah, are very good. Bethany’s Diana is a loyal and good friend to Anne, and her other friends, Ruby (Elizabeth Batt), Josie Pye (Lily Knott), and Jane (Praise MacDonald) are all fun to watch. Mateo Acuña is a fine Gilbert Blythe, especially as he and Anne work on reconciling their strained relationship, Liron Yeager is a solid Moody, and Jodie Valdez, as Mrs. Spencer, the woman who arranged bringing Anne to Avonlea, is frazzled and provides a bit of her own comic relief as a result. Among the adults, it’s Dawn Cornell as Mrs. Lynde that steals the show, though. Mrs. Lynde is that older resident, conservative in her social views, initially rude to Anne about the way she looks, brutally direct and quite harsh, doesn’t believe in educating girls, but as the play progresses, she tempers her opinions. I love how Dawn plays this character, her stage presence, and the personality she brings to it.
Anne of Green Gables is one of those stories that we’ve all come across along the way in our lives, whether through the original novel or on TV or film. The version on stage in Marysville, presented by Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts, hits all of the story’s marks, is transportive in how it presents the setting, and fun in how it’s told by a cast of actors led by Hazel Weber as Anne Shirley. It’s a show that’s entertaining for the entire family, and one that is enjoyable both for those familiar with the story as well as newcomers to it.
Anne of Green Gables, produced by Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts, runs on stage in Marysville through March 16. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://redcurtainfoundation.org/.
Photo credit: Kenny Randall
