Ageing Matthew Cuthbert suffers a heart attack during harvest, 1903, and his grim-visaged sister determines to adopt an orphanage boy to help with the farm work at Green Gables. By mistake, a girl arrives, red-haired, freckled and over-talkative. Her vivid imagination and entertaining flow of chatter endear her to Matthew, but sister Marilla is set on packing her back as soon as possible. For once, Matthew wins, and this enchanting musical tells how young Anne Shirley finally overcomes the hostilities of her companions at the local school, and wins the hearts of the gossiping inhabitants of a close-knit Canadian community - even Marilla's. Laughter comes far too often for the sentiment to cloy.
The Scenes
Act I
The church parlour (front drop). Bright River Railroad Station (cut out). Green Gables. A road in Avonlea (front cloth). Mrs Blewett's house (inset). The Schoolhouse. "All over Town" (front drop). The picnic site.
Act II
Outside the Schoolhouse. A road in Avonlea. Green Gables. The nature hunt. The store at Carmody (inset). The Schoolhouse. (Except on unusually well-equipped stages, sufficient depth is required for Green Gables to remain standing, well upstage, all the other scenes being played downstage of the house's setting line).
1st Violins, Violins 2 and 3, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Flute, Oboe, 2 Clarinets, Bassoon, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, Trombone, Drums, Harp. (The percussionist has much 'hammer' work and requires Xylophone plus at least one other keyboard instrument with more dulcet tone, such as Glock or Vibes).