Anne of Green Gables takes the stage in Kelowna tonight
As Canada gears up to celebrate its 150th birthday, it seems fitting that the time-honoured and much-loved piece of Canadiana, Anne of Green Gables, comes to the Kelowna Actors Studio stage.
A family-friendly musical, Anne has hit a record-setting mark of playing for 52 seasons at the Charlottetown Confederation Arts Centre, bringing to life time and again the story of a redhaired orphan with a heart of gold.
Anne Shirley and her energetic story have been a thread of happiness and comfort in the life of young actor Kate Hammer, who is no stranger to the tale.
“It’s been part of our family for a long time,” Kate said. “My grandmother read the book to my mom, and my mom read it to me, and now I get to be Anne. I see her as a free spirit, with lots of energy who trusts people and draws people to her with all of that.
“I’ve been able to relate to Anne as I grew up, and this is a very exciting opportunity for me,” Kate added.
“Her personality, her independence and her view of life is not difficult to portray to the audience because she is so real.”
Taking on the lead in such a big play hasn’t fazed the young actor, who has been part of the KAS family since she was just seven years old, first appearing on the stage portraying the young Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker.
“This, playing Anne, is very different,” she said. “Obviously I had no lines in the first play, and this has a lot of singing, dancing and acting.”
The entire cast has been swept up in the infectious life of Anne Shirley, who has captivated readers and audiences for over a century.
The treasured first novel was transformed into the charming musical, and brings to life the sister and brother who seek to adopt a boy and are very surprised when their new arrival is the self-directed, headstrong, red-haired and somewhat off-the-cuff Anne.
Raised in an orphanage, Anne has learned to live by engaging her imagination and fancy, interlacing it with her own romantic ideas, poetic notions and comes equipped with a tongue that “flaps” without need or intention to end.
She has a knack of getting into some dicey situations, speaks her own truth and manages to charm a town — after a little while. Anne comes into odds with the townsfolk when she freely expresses her views on what it means to be “good,” people’s moral character and even what should (not) be worn to church.
Director Angela Quinn shares her thoughts on Anne, adding that “the audience will be swept back to the turn of the century where Avonlea comes alive with enchanting music, lively dance and touching performances.”
“Even though it’s set at the turn of the century, the modern parallels are there. Anne struggles to find her place in Avonlea, testing her values, friendship and love. Anne is a remarkable book and a charming musical, with lots of diehard followers who have been
touched by Anne’s story for years.”
Included in the cast of the play, which runs until May 7, are Norene Morrow (Marilla Cuthbert), Tiernan LafleurJohnson (Gilbert Blythe) and Ron Green (Matthew Cuthbert), as well as Julia Chambers, Maia Terran, Karlisa Hiebert and Janice Sorestad.