Anne

Elisabeth Anne MacDonald-Murray is an assistant professor of English at
the University of Western Ontario.

Does the world really need another play about Anne of Green Gables? In
the more than 90 years since L.M. Montgomery’s precocious heroine
first appeared in print, her story has spawned countless screen, stage,
and musical adaptions. Yet, in a literary scene that would seem to be
saturated, Paul Ledoux’s play, Anne, proves that there is indeed room
for a new look at a familiar story. His stripped-down version, intended
for a young audience, brings to life a much-loved character with an
eloquent simplicity and charm.

Written for only eight characters (three adults and five children),
Anne simply yet effectively re-creates the small community of Avonlea.
The action moves briskly, covering five years in two acts, and mirrors
the novel’s episodic structure as the plot follows Anne through one
scrape after another. Ledoux’s script, however, maintains a fluid
movement by framing the action as a series of memories that flow
naturally from one scene to the next. This theme of remembered childhood
is deftly evoked by the playwright’s use of children’s songs and
games to link scenes together. The play’s structure, unfortunately,
leaves little room for character development; yet, although the
characters are primarily distinguished by signature phrases and
expressions, they never descend into caricature.

Ledoux’s take on the well-worn story of Anne is refreshingly simple
and direct. Despite the inevitable liberties that must be taken in the
translation from novel to stage, he remains faithful to the spirit and
whimsy of Montgomery’s original text, which has delighted generations
of readers. Highly recommended.