Emily of New Moon aka Kaze no Shoujo Emily (translated to
English as "Emily, the Wind Girl") is an animated television series that was based on L.M. Montgomery's Emily of New Moon trilogy.
The Emily of New Moon anime series was a single season with 26 episodes. Each episode was roughly 25 minutes in length. The series was produced by Hideaki Miyamoto, and the series music was by Akira Miyagawa. The series aired on NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Educational TV from April 7, 2007 to September 29, 2007.
The protagonist Emily Byrd Starr was voiced by actress Tomoko
Kawakami. The anime's plot primarily follows that of the novel Emily of New Moon with some scenes from Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest. Set on Prince Edward Island, Canada, the series follows the growth of a young girl Emily Starr.
The story begins with Emily, who lives alone with her father. When her father dies, Emily is adopted by her strict Aunt Elizabeth and moves to New Moon Farm. Facing loneliness and isolation, Emily writes letters to her dead father.
Emily meets and becomes close friends with Ilse Burnley, Teddy Kent, and Perry Miller. Each of the friends has a special talent. Emily loves to write and dreams of becoming a novelist.
Cast:
Tomoko Kawakami as Emily Byrd Starr
Akemi Okamura as Perry Miller
Kôki Miyata as Teddy Kent
Sachiko Kojima as Ilse Burnley
Emi Shinohara as Kaze no Oba-san (Mrs.
Wind) (narration)
Masako Ikeda as Laura Murray
Rokuro Naya as Jimmy Murray
Toshiko Fujita as Elizabeth Murray
Akio Ohtsuka as Mr Carpenter
Atsuko Enomoto as Rhoda Stuart
Aya Hisakawa as Aileen Kent
Chiemi Ishimatsu as Jennie Strang
Kiyoyuki Yanada as Allan Burnley
Misaki Sekiyama as Carrie Strang
Niina Kumagaya as Miss Brownell
Shigenori Sôya as Douglas Starr
Touko Aoyama as Grace and Saucy Sal
Youko Matsuoka as Aunt Ruth
External Link:
Official Emily of New Moon (2007) Website
Image credit:
Drawing of Emily Bryd Starr from Emily of New Moon (2007) aka Kaze no Shoujo Emily. © NHK
Created December 11, 2006. Last updated April 23, 2024.
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The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery is a musical written by Adam-Michael James and composed by Leo Marchildon. Based on L.M. Montgomery's life, this musical biography premiered at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island on June 20, 2008. The musical premiere occurred on the exact day of the 100th anniversary of the publication of L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. The musical celebrates the life and the characters created by the legendary Canada's author.
Adam-Michael James documented the progress of the musical in his blog, which provides detailed information on how the production developed.
The official website for the musical provides the following description of the show:
"Maud" soars as she creates her most famous character, "Anne of Green Gables", then additional heroines Kilmeny, Sara, Emily, Valancy, Marigold, Pat, and Jane - making up her nine lives. But when Maud forgets that the power of imagination can change our lives for the negative as well as the positive, her heroines come to life to amuse, enlighten, and entertain!
The creation of Emmy-nominated composer Leo Marchildon and author Adam-Michael James, Nine Lives is an epic multimedia experience that has real-life and fictional characters backed by video footage, archival photos, evocative period music and sumptuous underscore.
Premiering on the 100th anniversary of the publication of "Anne", Nine Lives has been praised for its accuracy and importance to Canada and literature, twice nominated for the PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation's Wendell Boyle Award.
The original cast recording for The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery was released in 2009 by Nine Lives Musicals, Inc. with the following CD release notes:
You've read her books - but how much do you know about her lives? In this dazzling musical by Leo Marchildon and Adam-Michael James, L.M. Montgomery is determined to become a writer and eventually becomes famous the world over for creating Anne of Green Gables. But, as her fictional characters materialize to help her through her increasing struggles, they discover that the power of imagination can change our lives in more ways than one.
Marchildon's sumptuous arrangements traverse the moods and styles of Montgomery's lifetime, from the Scottish reels of the 1880s to the Big Band flavor of the 1930s, while James' insightful lyrics constantly advances the story. The only musical on the life of the quintessential Canadian author comes to CD virtually complete, featuring the original 2008 cast and including Marchildon's "Character Themes Suite" that paints delightful portraits of all eight of Montgomery's fictional heroines. Whether you're a casual L.M. Montgomery fan or a self-professed die-hard, The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery brings all her lives to you in a fresh, exciting way! For more information about the show, visit ninelivesoflmm.com. Label: Nine Lives Musicals, Inc.
The album includes the following songs and character suites:
ACT I
1. Blank Verse/The Alpine Path
2. It's in My Nature
3. I Like You Best
4. An Orphan No More
5. So I Say Farewell
6. More Important Things
7. The Correspondence of Edwin
8. I Am a Newspaper Woman!
9. What Do You Propose
10. An Epoch in My Life
11. Island Hymn
12. Maud Meets Her Public
13. Too Late
ACT II
14. I Hate Interruptions
15. The Race That Knows Joseph
16. 1917
17. Eternally Lost
18. Grumble Book
19. The Dream Life Waltz
20. Character Analysis
21. Two-Timin' Timmy
22. Where is My Happy Ending?
23. The Alpine Path" (finale)
Character Theme Suites
24. Kilmeny
25. Sara
26. Emily
27. Valancy
28. Marigold
29. Pat
30. Jane
31. Anne
Official Site:
The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery (archived)
Image Credit:
Album cover for The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery.
References:
The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery - Original Broadway Cast 2008. Broadway World. Retrieved from: https://www.broadwayworld.com/recordings/The-Nine-Lives-of-L-MMontgomery-2008-Original-Broadway-Cast
Created December 2, 2006. Last updated May 12, 2024.
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October 26, 2006
Penguin Group (Canada) to Become the Official Book Publisher of L.M. Montgomery 100th Anniversary Editions
Penguin Group (Canada) to become the official book publisher of L.M. Montgomery 100th Anniversary Editions
Press Release
TORONTO - Penguin Group (Canada) announced yesterday it will undertake a major Canadian and international publishing program in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Anne of Green Gables, including publication of an official prequel, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the book's original publication in 1908.
To further celebrate this significant anniversary, Penguin will publish a special collectible 100th anniversary edition of Anne of Green Gables, featuring the original cover art of M.A. Claus and W.A.J. Claus.
A third project, Imagining Anne: The Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery will bring to life Montgomery's own thoughts and interests using selected pages from her own scrapbooks from the years 1893 to 1908, covering her time as a college student, teacher and writer, and the years in which she created the character of Anne Shirley, leading to the publication of Anne of Green Gables in 1908.
The significance of the souvenirs and clippings Montgomery collected will be explained by Elizabeth Epperly, Ph.D., professor of English at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and the founder of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at UPEI.
Imagining Anne will be a full-colour giftbook, releasing in March 2008.
Penguin holds world rights in all languages to both the prequel and the scrapbook.
The prequel, Before Green Gables, which tells the story of Anne's early life in foster homes and an orphanage in Nova Scotia, will be written by Governor General's Literary Award finalist Budge Wilson.
Budge Wilson has published twenty-nine books in more than 10 countries and her stories have been included in over 90 anthologies, including the first Journey Prize Anthology.
Her many awards include nineteen Canadian Children's Book Centre "Our Choice" awards, the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Award, the Marianna Dempster Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award, the Lilla Stirling Award and the City of Dartmouth Book Award.
Her latest book, Friendships, is a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award.
Wilson offered the following comments: "When Penguin asked me to write this prequel, I was faced with an enormous challenge."
"But it was this challenge that made me want to write the book," Wilson said.
"Given the appalling deprivation and emotional starvation of Anne's years in the Thomas and Hammond households and during her four agonized months in the orphanage, one is mystified as to how she became the person she was when she made her first journey to Green Gables with Matthew Cuthbert," she said.
"How could she have become so vibrant a person, so talkative, so articulate, so optimistic, so full of extravagant dreams?"
"This was the enticing puzzle that drew me into the project."
Wilson will spend several chapters getting to know Anne's parents and will bring other people into the story who will introduce Anne to the magic of words and literature, the possibilities for solace and joy in an active imagination, and the experience of giving and receiving love.
"I will, of course, try to be true to the astonishing character that Lucy Maud Montgomery created," said Wilson.
"For this, I am grateful to her."
"But I would not - in fact, could not - presume to tell my part of Anne's history in Montgomery's voice."
"I will do this in my own voice, hoping that she would approve of the project if she were alive today." Penguin is delighted to have the full support of the heirs of L.M. Montgomery and will work in co-operation with the family to create an exciting national marketing plan to make 2008 especially memorable as the year of Anne and of L.M. Montgomery.
L. M. Montgomery's grandson David Macdonald, speaking for the family, said, "We are delighted that Penguin have undertaken to publish a prequel to Anne of Green Gables for 2008 and have selected respected author Budge Wilson to write Before Green Gables.
"We think she is a terrific choice," Macdonald said.
He continued, "It's an added bonus that Budge Wilson like Anne, comes from Nova Scotia."
"I think my grandmother would have thought it appropriate for an author who grew up in Nova Scotia to write about Anne's life before she came to Prince Edward Island and Green Gables."
Commissioning editor Helen Reeves commented on the tremendous opportunity presented by the 100th anniversary, saying, "The character of Anne Shirley continues to be loved around the world."
"Growing up in the UK, I read all the Anne books and it's tremendously exciting to see a different part of Anne's story brought to life by one of Canada's most celebrated contemporary writers," Reeves said.
"We look forward to 2008 with great anticipation," she said.
Founded in 1974 as a distribution company for Penguin books from all over the world, Penguin Group (Canada) began publishing Canadian and international titles in 1977, and quickly became known as one of Canada's pre-eminent publishers of literary, thought-provoking fiction, and non-fiction.
Penguin is internationally recognized as the world's predominant publisher of classic literature; in Canada publishing both modern classics and black classics, including works by Susanna Moodie, Stephen Leacock and L.M. Montgomery.
Created October 26, 2006. Last updated January 30, 2024.
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Anne of Avonlea (1997) is a play by Joseph Robinette based on the novel Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery. Joseph Robinette also wrote an Anne of Green Gables play (published in 1989) as well as an Anne of Green Gables musical (with Evelyn Swensson).
The premise of the play is that Anne is applying to Redmond College and is struggling to write a one-page autobiography for her application. Marilla suggests that Anne "talk it out" before she decides what to write. The story unfolds from there. There is some retelling of Anne's story from Anne of Green Gables, but most of the play is set during Anne of Avonlea.
Anne of Avonlea is a full-length play that is approximately 120 minutes long. The script was published by Dramatic Publishing in 1997 and is available through the Dramatic Publishing website.
The play is described as follows:
"This delightful, enchanting sequel to Anne of Green Gables continues the exciting adventures of one of literature's most enduring characters, Anne Shirley. From her first days as a young teacher to her departure for Redmond College, we are reacquainted with such old friends as Marilla Cuthbert, Rachel Lynde, Diana Barry and Gilbert Blythe. We also meet many new ones: a cantankerous neighbor, Mr. Harrison (and his offstage parrot!); the mysterious Miss Lavendar; the beguiling Charlotta the Fourth; the irrepressible twins, Dora and Davy; and Anne's lively, but (usually) lovable, high-spirited students. Rejoin Anne and enjoy the embarrassment of mistakenly selling Mr. Harrison's cow, the anxiety of her first day teaching school, the humorous essay-writing assignment, the plum marmalade incident, the encounter with Miss Lavendar, the devastating storm and its aftermath, and the wedding at Echo Lodge. There are also flashbacks to Anne's young life and how she came to live at Green Gables. Anne of Avonlea is ideal for junior highs, high schools and community theatres and is a true ensemble piece. This heartwarming and humorously uplifting play will be fondly remembered by audiences and performer alike long after the final curtain."
Image Credit:
Adapted Anne of Avonlea (1997) book cover by Dramatic Publishing.
Created September 24, 2006. Last updated June 21, 2024.
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Anne of Green Gables (1989) is a play by Joseph Robinette based on the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.
It is a full-length play and is approximately 105 minutes long. The script was published by Dramatic Publishing in 1989 and is available through the Dramatic Publishing website.
The play is described as follows:
"This dramatization captures the charm and excitement of L.M. Montgomery's enduring classic about an orphan girl, Anne Shirley, from her first encounter with her austere guardian to her thrilling graduation from Queen's Academy. The play faithfully recreates the memorable events and characters from the brilliant novel. All the tragedies and triumphs that mark Anne's growth from adolescence to early adulthood are here: her friendship with Diana, her feuds with Gilbert, her adoration of Matthew, the mistaken wine bottle, the cake disaster, the broken leg, the scholastic achievements, and the saving of Green Gables. Whether the playgoer is an "old friend" of Anne's or meeting her for the first time, this play will solidify a lasting friendship between the audience and one of literature's most unforgettable characters. The flexibility of casting and the simplicity of the set make this an ideal production for community and school groups."
Image Credit:
Image adapted from Anne of Green Gables (1989) poster by Dramatic Publishing.
Created September 24, 2006. Last updated June 21, 2024.
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Anne of Green Gables (1997) is a musical by Joseph Robinette and Evelyn Swensson based on the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. The book is by Joseph Robinette, and the music and lyrics are by Evelyn Swensson. The musical made its world premiere at the Delaware Children's Theatre in Wilmington, Delaware where it was directed by Marie Swajeski. The script was published by Dramatic Publishing in 1997.
The musical has two acts and is approximately 105 minutes long. The script is available through Dramatic Publishing.
The musical is described as follows:
"This sparkling new musical further enhances the enduring story of Anne Shirley, the orphan girl whom Mark Twain called "the most delightful child of fiction since the immortal Alice." The exciting, melodious score offers great variety from the opening chorus number "Prince Edward Island," wherein we meet the townspeople of Avonlea, to the spirited "Charlottetown Rag." Other delightful songs include "Kindred Spirits" performed by Anne and Diana, "I Dare You," and the lilting "Green Gables." Eminently singable and easily staged, this humorous and heartwarming Anne of Green Gables is the ideal family musical."
Image Credit:
Anne of Green Gables (1997) book cover by Dramatic Publishing.
Created September 24, 2006. Last updated June 21, 2024.
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Anne...With an “e” - The Green Gables Musical (1998) is a musical by Neil K. Newell and C. Michael Perry based on the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. The musical was produced and made its world premiere at the Spanish Fork Community Theatre in Spanish Fork, Utah, USA on July 19, 1998.
The original production was directed by C. Michael Perry, produced by Cherie Murray, and choreographed by Tara Christopher. The musical direction was by Steve Boothe and Gregory Lawrence Duffin, and the sets were designed by Jim Nicholet and LeEarl Peck.
The musical has two acts and is approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes long. The script is available through Eldridge Publishing.
The play is described as follows:
"Anne of Green Gables,” by L. M. Montgomery, is an enduring story of innocence, joy, and the true meaning of love that has delighted and inspired readers for over a century. Now this heartwarming story of the irrepressible Anne Shirley is impressively adapted to the stage and has inspired a musical score that will knock your socks off! The story begins as Anne arrives at Green Gables and follows her through mishaps and adventures, through Matthew’s death and her reconciliation with Gilbert, and finally to her determination to stay at Green Gables and help Marilla while pursuing her education. There are 20 songs including “Breath of Air!” “Bosom Friends” “The Lady of Shallot” “The Perfect Man,” and “Bend in the Road.” This charming, faithful adaptation appeals to those of every generation."
Image Credit:
Promotional artwork for Anne With an “e” - The Green Gables Musical.
Created September 24, 2006. Last updated June 20, 2024.
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If you can't make it to PEI, there's a similar Christmas ornament available here.
Created July 26, 2006. Last updated January 25, 2024.
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L.M. Montgomery: The Norval Years, 1926-1935 by Deborah Quaile was published by Wordbird Press on June 15, 2006. The book includes illustrations by Jennifer Osborn. It is organized in the form of a scrapbook and follows Montgomery's years living and working in Norval, Ontario, Canada, including photographs, journal entries, and local newspaper and magazine articles.
Here's the description of the book from Wordbird Press:
The professional life and home life of Lucy Maud Montgomery Macdonald (author of Anne of Green Gables) were inextricably intertwined. This scrapbook-style history follows Maud’s village life in Norval, Ontario, Canada, where she lived from 1926 to 1935, through photographs, memorabilia, literary quotations, and local journalism. In long-unread issues of newspapers and magazines, and in personal archives, author Deborah Quaile has uncovered hints of Maud that haven’t been seen in decades. The story follows Norval and local history, while at the same time recreating the life of Canada’s favourite author, from her everyday appearance at church socials, to speaking engagements in far-flung cities where standing ovations were cordial recognitions of her other existence.
L.M. Montgomery: The Norval Years, 1926-1935 reconstructs the reality in which the writer revolved, presenting new material that has not been seen by the current generations of Montgomery scholars and fans. Knowing her fondness for scrapbooking through archives in Ontario and Prince Edward Island, perhaps these are the pages L.M. Montgomery would have loved to create.
The book includes the following contents:
Introduction: The Allure of L.M. Montgomery
Foreword
From Prince Edward Island to the World
Norval History
Maud's Home and Gardens
Friends and Family
Norval and Union Presbyterian Churches
Local Beauty
Life in the Village
Devotions and Duties
Maud's Days
L.M. Montgomery's Accomplishments
Leaving Norval
Remembering Maud: Montgomery in Modern Norval
Epilogue
Endnotes
Bibliography
Index
Image credit:
Book cover of L.M. Montgomery: The Norval Years, 1926-1935 from Wordbird Press.
Created June 7, 2006. Last updated June 23, 2024.
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At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales was published in 1994. The book contains 18 of L.M. Montgomery's short stories that were rediscovered and edited by Rea Wilmshurst. The tales in this collection all involve themes of love conquering obstacles. The stories contained in the volume are listed below with their original publication dates in parentheses:
"Aunt Philippa and the Men" (1915)
"A Dinner of Herbs" (1928)
"Jessamine" (1909)
"The Pennington's Girl" (1900)
"The Gossip of Valley View" (1910)
"The Pursuit of the Ideal" (1904)
"By the Rule of Contrary" (1908)
"Nan" (1904)
"The Wooing of Bessy" (1906)
"Miss Cordelia's Accommodation" (1903)
"The Twins and a Wedding" (1908)
"Them Notorious Pigs" (1904)
"The Dissipation of Miss Ponsonby" (1906)
"An Unconventional Confidence" (1903)
"The Way of Winning Anne" (1899)
"The Touch of Fate" (1899)
"What Aunt Marcella Would Have Called It" (1935)
"When Jack and Jill Took a Hand" (1905)
Image Credit:
Book cover of my Bantam 1995 edition of At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales featuring artwork by Ben Stahl. Photograph by World of Anne Shirley.
Purchase and read At the Altar: Matrimonial Tales:
Created May 26, 2006. Last updated May 21, 2024.
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Anne of Green Gables (1991) is a play adapted by R.N. Sandberg from the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. The play was commissioned by the Seattle Children’s Theatre in Seattle, Washington and had its world premiere there in 1991.
The full-length play is 105 minutes long. There is also a one-act version of the play that is 60 minutes long. The scripts for both the full-length and one-act versions of the play are available through Dramatic Publishing.
The play is described as follows:
“A faithful, unsentimental dramatization of the first part of the beloved classic. Commissioned and premiered by Seattle’s Children’s Theatre.
Marilla Cuthbert and her brother Matthew request an orphan boy to help work their farm but are mistakenly sent the high-spirited, red-headed Anne Shirley. Knowing they are ill equipped to raise a child, Marilla attempts to send Anne back to the orphanage. With Matthew lobbying to keep Anne, Marilla ultimately agrees to let her stay at Green Gables. The trials and tribulations Marilla fears come to pass as Anne insults Marilla's best friend, “loses” Marilla's most cherished brooch, smacks the school's prize pupil with a slate, and inadvertently gets her best friend Diana drunk on cherry cordial. She also turns out to be bright, charming and resourceful, full of irresistible imagination. Marilla and Matthew admit she is the best thing that ever happened to them, and Anne comes to understand she is a loved, worthwhile person.”
Image Credit:
Photograph by Chris Bennion of Anne of Green Gables by R.N. Sandberg, which was performed at the Seattle Children's Theatre in 1991. The photograph is featured on R.N. Sanberg's website.
Created May 22, 2006. Last updated June 16, 2024.
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Emily (1999) is a musical by Richard Ouzounian and Marek Norman based on the Emily of New Moon trilogy (Emily of New Moon, Emily Climbs, and Emily’s Quest) by L.M. Montgomery. Richard Ouzounian, who is a theatre critic, writer, and director, wrote the book and lyrics. Marek Norman, who is a composer, actor, and producer, wrote the orchestral music.
Emily made its world premiere on June 19, 1999 at the Charlottetown Festival at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The musical starred Tracy Michalidis as Emily Starr. The musical was successful and returned the following season in 2000. The script was published by McArthur and Company in 2000.
Emily is described in the published script as follows:
"EMILY is a new Canadian musical based on the famous trilogy by Lucy Maud Montgomery: EMILY OF NEW MOON, EMILY CLIMBS, and EMILY'S QUEST. The three books deal with the growth of a young woman on Prince Edward Island at the turn of the century, both as an individual and as a writer. Many commentators feel that Emily contains Montgomery's fantasy of the choices she wishes she had made in her life. EMILY was first presented at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown in June of 1999 and instantly became a smash hit, proving to be one of the most popular shows in the festival's thirty-five year history. It will be returning for the 2000 season, and a subsequent tour is in the works. Included here is an introduction by Richard Ouzounian, the entire play's script, and four original songs from the musical.”
The four songs included in the book are: “The Dream Begins,” “Disappointed House,” “There Will Be Another Rainbow,” and “This Island.”
Image Credit:
Front cover of the Emily script by Richard Ouzounian and Marek Norman featuring a photograph of Tracy Michalidis as Emily Starr from The Charlottetown Festival (1999). The photograph is by Barrett and MacKay. The script was published by McArthur and Company in 2000.
Created May 21, 2006. Last updated June 22, 2024.
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Anne of Green Gables (1990) is a play adapted by Sylvia Ashby from the novel Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. The play premiered at the Lubbock Community Theatre in Lubbock, Texas in October 1990. It was directed by Cliff Ashby. The cast featured Ali Selim as Anne Shirley, Linda Huckabee as Marilla Cuthbert, Harlan Reddell as Matthew Cuthbert, Karen Copple as Rachel Lynde, Susan Andrews as Mrs. Blewitt, Andy Hutton as Gilbert Blythe, Jamie Boylan as Diana Barry, and Alayna Roberts as Josie Pye.
The two-act play is 120 minutes long. The script is available through Baker’s Plays and Concord Theatricals.
The play is described as follows:
“A refreshing, contemporary telling of the classic story. Stern Marilla and her warm-hearted brother Matthew hoped to adopt a boy to work on their farm. But the orphanage sends young, befreckled Anne by mistake, and their lives will never be the same. Her warmth and wit affect everyone around her - even, eventually, the cold Marilla. We follow Anne through her rebellious years, her transformation into a young woman, and her romantic pairing with Gilbert. This play has been charming audiences around the world.”
Image Credit:
Photograph of Anne of Green Gables featuring Ali Selim as Anne Shirley and Susan Andrews as Mrs. Blewitt posted by the Lubbock Community Theatre.
Purchase the Anne of Green Gables script:
Created May 21, 2006. Last updated June 13, 2024.
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