Anne of Avonlea (1997)

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 Avonlea (1940)

In 1940, James Reach, writing under the pseudonym Jeanette Carlisle, adapted L.M. Montgomery's novel Anne of Avonlea into a play titled Anne of Avonlea: A Comedy in Three Acts. This play was the first dramatization of Anne of Avonlea written for the stage. It was published by Samuel French, Inc., the same company that printed the 1937 stage adaptation of Anne of Green Gables by Wilbur Braun (pseudonym Alice Chadwicke).

James Reach (1909–1970) was an American playwright who wrote under several pseudonyms. Along with writing under the name Jeanette Carlisle, he also published plays under the names Hilda Manning, John Rand, and Thomas Sutton. Reach wrote many comedies, mystery-comedies, and dramatic plays, including The Wagon To The Star, Women in White, Afraid of the Dark, Blind Gambit, and Life Begins at Sixteen.

In the opening pages of Anne of Avonlea, the "Story of the Play" states,

"Here is the first dramatization of L. M. Montgomery’s famous novel which has been read and loved by millions since its publication more than thirty years ago. The play is in one simple living-room set, with most of the characters young ones, and should appeal particularly to clubs, schools and churches. Its heroine is the same adorable little red-headed vixen whose acquaintance so many of you have made in 'Anne of Green Gables.' But the little girl of 'Green Gables' has become a grown-up school teacher of seventeen. How she faces and overcomes the first real problems of her life form the basis of Miss Carlisle’s faithful adaptation, of which it may be said, as Meredith Nicholson said of the original, 'A story to lift the spirit and send the pessimist into bankruptcy!'"

The story involves Anne’s experiences teaching at the Avonlea School, her friendships with Diana and Gilbert, her neighbor Mr. Harrison, and her work with the Avonlea Village Improvement Society to beautify Avonlea. The introductory “Story of the Play” states, “Miss Carlisle has magically blended these into a whole that will capture and hold your interest from curtain to curtain, that will bring you much wholesome laughter and a few sentimental tears...”

Anne of Avonlea by Jeanette Carlisle is available for purchase and licensing through Concord Theatricals, which acquired Samuel French, Inc. in 2018.

Created August 15, 2002. Last updated May 12, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com