The Clinton County Youth Theatre will present “Anne of Green Gables” on Jan. 25 through Jan. 27 at the Frankfort Community Public Library Skanta Theatre, and only 18 tickets are left for the Jan. 27 showing.
“Anne of Green Gables” is based upon the original books written by L.M. Montgomery, which were later adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette. The original “Anne of Green Gables” novel sold more than 50 million copies worldwide prior to the adaptation to the stage, and many members of the cast were avid supporters of the story even before their casting.
Throughout the story, Anne Shirley, an orphan who arrives at Green Gables to her semi-welcoming new family comprised of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert and experiences a series of conversations regarding her status within the family, embarks on a journey of self-discovery while attempting to solidify new friendships and overcome her own insecurities, such as her bright red hair. Anne, portrayed by Jazzy Kirk, consistently states that she prefers to be known as “Cordelia” as the name sounds more elegant, which is indicative of the type of person Anne wishes to become in the future.
“She’s this fun and bubbly character whose emotions can change in a flash,” Kirk said. “It’s been nice being here, because I feel like I can see part of myself in Anne.”
Kirk continued to state that transforming herself into the role of Anne has helped her blossom as a person as she forms new relationships with her castmates, learns more about the “Anne of Green Gables” story and grows alongside the lessons portrayed in the story.
“The experience has been really good,” Kirk said. “I just feel like it’s been a really overall great experience. I’ve met new people being the role. I’ve learned things that I never would have if I wasn’t Anne.”
As Anne is welcomed into Green Gables with open arms by Matthew, an awkward and shy man with limited relationships besides his sister, Marilla, and mare, despite a mix-up with the orphanage, she begins to cause trouble around the small town, causing Marilla to question whether Anne will remain in Green Gables. Ben Hodge, who portrays Matthew, commented that he connects with his character as they share some personality traits that allow for him to be himself on stage.
“Matthew’s just kind of like a more nervous type, doesn’t like being around girls, kind of like an introvert, which I’m also an introvert, so it makes it a lot easier to act as him,” Hodge said. “It’s easier to be uncomfortable for things if I’m also sometimes also uncomfortable for that sort of thing.”
Hodge continued to state that the actors surrounding him on the stage have developed dramatically over the course of the process from auditions to opening night, and he encouraged audiences to continue to support the youth in the county who dedicate themselves to productions such as “Anne of Green Gables.”
“It’s a good play, pretty interesting and we’ve worked really hard,” Hodge said. “I’m a senior, but others are much younger, so it’s impressive how well they can play these roles. Seeing younger kids just able to play really well is very cool to see in the community.”
Eventually, as Anne proves her faith and her willingness to help the family prosper at Green Gables, Marilla, portrayed by Ella Bushman, becomes fond of her, encouraging Anne alongside Matthew. However, Marilla continues her reign as a foil for Matthew, pushing Anne to succeed while keeping her at arms-length.
“She is an older lady who is very sarcastic and very sassy, and she’s also very enclosed when it comes to the emotional side,” Bushman said. “She doesn’t really show her emotions, so she’s kind of withdrawn from that side until the end of the play.”
Bushman continued to comment on the storyline of the play, stating that “Anne of Green Gables” provides a refreshing and new experience for the cast and audience members who have participated with the past few shows.
“I feel like it’s a very in-depth play,” Bushman said. “Compared to the last one, I feel like it has a lot more story behind it, and it has a lot more to it, a lot of emotion and depth and other things.”
Throughout the play, Anne becomes acquainted with Diana Barry, portrayed by Lydia Orellana, after her first days in school, leading to the duo swearing to remain friends for the rest of their lives. However, following a tea party where Anne accidentally serves Diana wine, their friendship is placed on a hiatus that leads to further shenanigans and culminates in a climax where Anne helps save the day.
“I’m very excited and honored to play the role of Diana, and I’m super excited to see how the show is,” Orellana said. “I think it’s definitely a fan favorite. I also think that our show was cast very well.”
Orellana elaborated on her role as Diana, stating that she holds a special fondness for the character as a result of the cancellation of a rendition of “Anne of Green Gables” she was looking forward to being cast in during the pandemic.
“During COVID, my theater that I was with currently was going to put on ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ and I was set for Diana, and then COVID happens,” Orellana. “I feel like this is kind of like my second chance at playing Diana.”
Following their reunion, Anne and Diana begin to cause trouble once more, sparking the outrage of Aunt Josephine, portrayed by Tabby Walters, who scolds Diana for her behavior and eventually becomes fond of Anne despite her antics. Walter commented that through her development of the Aunt Josephine character and her role as the understudy for Anne, she has harnessed new acting techniques that have helped her develop new acting skills, such as angry acting as a result of Aunt Josephine’s temper and Anne’s stubbornness.
“Aunt Josephine is like a mean old lady basically–supposed to be–and nice at the end I guess,” Walters said. “It’s fun playing a role and getting to be yelling at children and stuff like that. I’ve just really enjoyed this role and hanging out with people and meeting new people.”
The cast of “Anne of Green Gables” has come together to produce a show where roles with minimal lines have been tailored to showcase all of the talents that the young cast has to offer. Holden Rountree, who portrays a Blewett child, may only have a few lines throughout the entire performance, but he and his sister, Madison, strove to highlight the roles even more, cementing most of the blocking by themselves, heightening the antics of the two children and creating a memorable scene where they both can shine. Drawing from their personal sibling relationship, Rountree was applauded for his dedication to the art form and his skills at 10-years-old.
“We had to like make it up ourselves,” Rountree said. “It was a special role they created. It wasn’t going to be in the play. We only have one scene where we run across the stage–me and my sister. Madison, my sister, she teases me and she never gets caught, and I always get caught, so I’m the one that gets in trouble most of the time.”
“Anne of Green Gables” has proven to be a must-see show from the Clinton County Youth Theatre regardless of whether audiences are familiar with the source material. With an engaging opening monologue by Anne progressing to a shocking twist toward the end of the performance that will lead audiences to tears, sprinkled with comedic lines and superb timing from the young cast, “Anne of Green Gables” has become one of the most talked about and highly-supported shows in Clinton County.
Tickets for the show are $7 for general seating and may be purchased at the Frankfort Community Public Library circulation desk or by calling 765-654-8746. Currently, there are only 18 tickets left for the 7:30 p.m. showing on Saturday, Jan. 27. The showings on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. have been sold out.