Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables holds a special place in the hearts of many Canadians. The story might spark sentiments of wonder and curiosity, or perhaps even revive memories of the rolling hills and red sand beaches of P.E.I.
Sock ‘n’ Buskin Theatre Company’s production of Anne of Green Gables ran from March 23-26 and reinforced the strong love for this tale within Canadian culture. The cast and crew paid attention to every small detail to create a world straight out of Montgomery’s imagination.
Based on Montgomery’s Canadian classic and adapted to the stage by Peter Delaurier, Anne of Green Gables follows an aging Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert who want to adopt a boy to help them run their farm.
Instead, they receive Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old girl with fiery red hair and a passionate, wondrous personality to match. In the following years, Anne learns lessons of friendship, family, and the power of limitless imagination.
Complete with wondrous facial expressions and contagious levels of excitement, Neve Sugars-Keen portrayed the role of Anne Shirley to perfection. She navigated Anne’s constant queries with careful articulation and boisterous excitement, while also maintaining the radiant smile that is synonymous with her character. Sugars-Keen put everything into her role, powerfully demonstrating the importance of staying true to yourself while navigating the complexities of life.
In the role of Marilla Cuthbert, Caitlin Borthwick impeccably emanated her character’s emphasis on properness and tradition. While Marilla is initially perplexed by Anne’s deviations from her preconceived idea of a ‘proper’ little girl, Borthwick portrays her character’s development wonderfully as Marilla gradually assumes more of a motherly role and learns to love Anne’s quirks.
Alaukwu Anozie portrayed the confidence and boldness of Anne’s academic rival, Gilbert Blythe, exceptionally well. Anozie’s most powerful moments were in the final scene of the play when Gilbert reconciles with Anne. He naturally shed his character’s outer shell of confidence and showed relatable vulnerability using a tentative manner of speech and careful movements, followed by a childlike excitement as he walked off the stage, successful in his endeavour.
Aahana Uppal’s hair and makeup designs brought uniqueness and dimension to each character’s distinct narrative. Uppal showed impressive range by creating unique hairstyles for each female character while staying true to the play’s early 1870s time period. Additionally, the use of makeup to create age lines and the grey additions into the aging characters’ hair effectively marked the physical deterioration brought on by the passage of time as the play progressed.
Directed by Victoria Ricciardelli and managed by Gabbie Cruz, production elements such as blocking and lighting effectively divided the stage between the play’s various settings. The rotating set panels on either side of the stage provided a detailed and sometimes interactive backdrop to each scene, further immersing audience members into the performance.
As theatregoers got up to leave at the production’s conclusion, the air felt lighter than it had before the show. Excitement, curiosity, and happiness seemed to fill the room. It was as if a rendition of this Canadian staple was just what everyone needed to set aside their stress for the night, as they became immersed in Anne’s heartwarming journey of self-discovery and belonging.
Featured image by Howard Sandler.
