Adelaide Maloney ’22
December 26, 2019
This year, Beverly High School’s fall play was Anne of Green Gables, a retelling of a classic novel from 1908. Within the story, an orphan girl named Anne is adopted by siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Moving into their home, Green Gables, Anne grows up and learns to find her own identity. This year’s production was student-directed by Ella Colton and Emily Rosenberg. It starred Zoe Hano as Anne, Sofia Blomqvist as Marilla Cuthbert, and Connor Hathaway as Matthew Cuthbert. Overall, Beverly’s production of Anne of Green Gables was a competently done play, and it was an enjoyable experience.
The first thing to talk about is the acting in this production. Teenage actors often are seen as unskilled, but BHS’ actors do not fall into this stereotype. The acting in this play specifically was at about the same level as other Beverly productions in the past. While some scenes may have seemed overdone, it was not overacted to the point of melodrama. There is not much to say about the acting, but that is a testament to it.
Moving on, the direction within the play was well executed. The two directors’ work ensured that it moved smoothly at all times and that the play was cohesive. It would be very easy for a play such as Anne of Green Gables to appear disjointed, but it never seemed that way. This can be credited to competent directors.
It would be unfair to judge this play by its story since it is a retelling of a century-old story, but it can be judged by its interpretation of that story. Tone is the best way in which the interpretation’s quality can be analyzed, and there is a lot to say about the tone of this play! The story of Anne of Green Gables is one with drastic tonal shifts between the lighthearted and the dark. It would, therefore, have been exceedingly easy for this play to develop a sense of tonal whiplash, but this never occurred. The tone, despite its constant up and down, seemed to constantly be somewhat hopeful. There is hope for better situations in darker times and hope for even more improvement in the happy times. This allows the play to skillfully avoid tonal whiplash and be consistent throughout.
