June 27, 2005

Anne of Green Gables Miniature Diorama

Blind Box containing a Little Anime Series World Masterpiece Theater miniature diorama featuring Anne of Green Gables, 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, Rascal the Raccoon, A Dog of Flanders, or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

My boyfriend gave me a blind box, which he spotted while traveling in Seattle. It's from the "Little Anime Series World Masterpiece Theater" collection. Each box contains a miniature diorama from one of five World Masterpiece Theater anime series produced by Nippon Animation. One of the anime series included is Anne of Green Gables (Akage no An). Knowing that I love Anne of Green Gables, my boyfriend bought a box for me and hoped for the best. Lucky for me, my box contained the Anne of Green Gables scene.

This blind box collection was manufactured by MegaHouse in 2003. The five World Masterpiece Theater series included in the collection are: Anne of Green Gables (1979), 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976), Rascal the Raccoon (1977), A Dog of Flanders (1975), and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1980). The scenes for the five series are depicted on the sides of the blind box and on the insert inside the box (pictured below):

The five World Masterpiece Theater series included in the collection are: Anne of Green Gables (1979), 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976), Rascal the Raccoon (1977), A Dog of Flanders (1975), and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1980).

Insert showing the five World Masterpiece Theater series collections.

Inside the red box was a pink case that looked like a tiny book:

Little Anime Series World Masterpiece Theater inner case

A brown plastic box, designed to look like wood, slides out of the pink case:

Plastic box containing the Little Anime Series World Masterpiece Theater diorama

Opening the box reveals the eight items shown below: the Green Gables kitchen, Matthew's couch and shoes, the Green Gables kitchen table, a bowl, a pair of birds, and three characters: Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, and Anne Shirley:

Items contained in the Anne of Green Gables miniature diorama

Here's a closer view of Matthew Cuthbert (who's asleep), Marilla Cuthbert, and Anne Shirley (carrying a layered cake):

Closer view of the Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, and Anne Shirley characters in the Anne of Green Gables miniature diorama

Here are a few views of the Anne of Green Gables diorama with Matthew asleep on his couch, Marilla bustling about the kitchen, and Anne carrying a lovely layered cake (that hopefully is flavored with vanilla instead of liniment):

Miniature Little Anime Series World Masterpiece Theater diorama scene showing Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, and Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables

Miniature Little Anime Series World Masterpiece Theater diorama scene showing Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, and Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables

Here's a close-up view of the Green Gables diorama:

Miniature Little Anime Series World Masterpiece Theater diorama scene showing Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, and Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables

Created June 27, 2005. Re-posted online with new photos and content January 20, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

June 23, 2005

Anne & Gilbert: The Musical (2005)

Anne & Gilbert, The Musical, photo of Marla McLean as Anne Shirley and Peter Deiwick as Gilbert Blythe

Anne & Gilbert: The Musical (2005) is a musical based on stories from the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. The first act of the musical is based on Anne of Avonlea, and the second act is based on Anne of the Island. The story was adapted for the stage by Jeff Hochhauser, Nancy White, and Bob Johnston.

I was fortunate to watch the musical in 2006 at the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside. It's a wonderful production, and the songs are charming. A CD featuring some of the songs and a book based on the Anne & Gilbert musical are available online.

Purchase the Anne & Gilbert cast recording CD to listen to the music and check out the script and lyrics book:


Anne & Gilbert: The Musical Cast Recording CD Anne & Gilbert: The Musical Script and Lyrics Book


Created June 23, 2005. Re-posted online March 28, 2021. Last updated March 28, 2021.
© worldofanneshirley.com

January 01, 2005

Anne of Green Gables Valentines - Set 1

Give these Anne of Green Gables Valentines to your classmates, kindred spirits, and loved ones. Save the Anne-inspired Valentines below. Then print the Valentine cards out on cardstock paper in portrait mode, cut them out, and share them!

Anne of Green Gables Valentines - Set 1 by World of Anne Shirley

To design this set of Anne of Green Gables Valentines, I used public domain clipart from Antique Clipart, and images of Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley, and Diana Barry from Sullivan Entertainment's production of Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987) and Nippon Animation's Anne of Green Gables (1979) aka Akage No An.

Download and print more Anne of Green Gables Valentines here: Set 2, Set 3, and Set 4.

Created January 1, 2005, Re-posted online January 22, 2024. Last updated January 26, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

April 29, 2004

Anne of Green Gables Word Search

Enjoy this Anne of Green Gables word search. You can print the image below or download a PDF version of the word search.

Anne of Green Gables word search

Created April 29, 2004. Re-posted online October 24, 2022. Last updated October 24, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

November 23, 2002

Road to Avonlea (1990-1996)

Road to Avonlea cast photograph featuring (from left to right) the characters Cecily King (Harmony Cramp), Olivia King (Mag Ruffman), Janet King (Lally Cadeau), Felicity King (Gema Zamprogna), Alec King (Cedric Smith), Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley), and Hetty King (Jackie Burroughs).


Road to Avonlea (1990–1996) is a television series produced by Sullivan Entertainment that aired for seven seasons on the CBC. The storylines in Road to Avonlea are based in part on L.M. Montgomery's novels The Story Girl and The Golden Road as well as her short story collections Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea.

Road to Avonlea takes place in the early 20th century in the fictional town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, the home of the Anne of Green Gables novels and Sullivan Entertainment’s Anne of Green Gables miniseries. The series begins when Sara Stanley is sent to live in Avonlea with her mother's family, the Kings, after her father is accused of embezzlement. Sara is a wealthy girl, who is used to life in big city Montreal. She must adjust to new experiences in a small village and her close-knit relatives.

Over the course of the series, its focus expanded from Sara to the rest of the King family and residents of Avonlea. Like other productions by Sullivan Entertainment, Road to Avonlea is humorous, romantic, and heart-warming. Its visually beautiful with a talented cast.

Road to Avonlea was a celebrated television series, winning 15 Gemini Awards and three Emmys. It aired in the United States on the Disney Channel with the title Avonlea. The series concluded after airing 91 episodes. Following the series finale, the Road to Avonlea cast reunited in a 1998 made-for-television film called Happy Christmas, Miss King (also known as An Avonlea Christmas). Set in 1914, the storyline was set during the first World War.

Image credit:
The Road to Avonlea photograph above features (from left to right) the characters Cecily King (Harmony Cramp), Olivia King (Mag Ruffman), Janet King (Lally Cadeau), Felicity King (Gema Zamprogna), Alec King (Cedric Smith), Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley), and Hetty King (Jackie Burroughs). © Sullivan Entertainment

External link:
Road of Avonlea
: The Official Website


Purchase and watch all seven seasons of Road to Avonlea:


Road to Avonlea Seven Season DVD Box Set by Sullivan Entertainment


Created November 23, 2002. Re-posted online March 12, 2022. Last updated March 12, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

August 15, 2002

Anne of Green Gables (1956)

Anne of Green Gables (1956), photo of John Drainie as Matthew Cuthbert and Toby Tarnow as Anne Shirley


In March 1956, Anne of Green Gables was broadcast as a black and white television musical film by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC). The 90-minute program aired as part of the CBC Folio series. The musical was based upon L.M. Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables and starred Toby Tarnow as Anne Shirley.

The musical film was directed by Don Harron, a Canadian actor, comedian, author, composer, director, and journalist. It written by James Costigan and Harron. Two years later, a second CBC-TV production aired on November 18, 1958, starring Kathy Willard as Anne Shirley. The 1956 television production was the basis for the stage production Anne of Green Gables - The Musical, which has been performed every summer since 1965 at the Charlottetown Festival in Prince Edward Island, Canada. This musical is the longest-running stage musical in Canada.

Image Credit:
"Anne of Green Gables in Hollis" by Michael Cleveland, Merrimack Journal, December 30, 2005.



Created August 15, 2002. Re-posted online June 12, 2021. Last updated June 12, 2021.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Avonlea (1940)

Anne of Avonlea (1940) Play by Jeanette Carlisle

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 (1940), 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. Re-posted online June 17, 2022. Last updated June 17, 2022.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Green Gables (1937)

Anne of Green Gables (1937) by Alice Chadwicke (pseud. Wilbur Braun)

In 1937, Wilbur Braun, under the pseudonym Alice Chadwicke, adapted L.M. Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables into a three-act play. This play was the first dramatization of Anne of Green Gables written for the stage. It was published by Samuel French, Inc.

Wilbur Braun (1894-1968) was an American playwright who wrote under over 50 pseudonyms. He was a prolific writer known for his dramatic and comedic stage adaptations, including Great Expectations, Pudd'nhead Wilson, Davy Crockett, Tish, and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.

In the opening pages of Anne of Green Gables (1937), the "Story of the Play" states, "for years this fascinating book has headed the list of best sellers. It has been printed and reprinted, has been made twice as a movie, once as a silent picture and only recently as a talkie, but it has remained for the distinguished dramatist, Alice Chadwicke, to make the first and only dramatization of this magically beautiful story."

The dedication of the play reads:

TO
L.M. MONTGOMERY,

who created the most lovable heroine
the world of fiction has ever known,
this play is most earnestly dedicated.

ALICE CHADWICKE.

Anne of Green Gables by Alice Chadwicke is available for purchase and licensing through Concord Theatricals, which acquired Samuel French, Inc. in 2018.

Purchase and read the Anne of Green Gables (1937) play script:


Anne of Green Gables (1937) Play by Alice Chadwicke (pseud. Wilbur Braun)


Created August 15, 2002. Re-posted online April 7, 2021. Last updated April 7, 2021.
© worldofanneshirley.com