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Anne of Green Gables: The Musical at the Thousand Islands Playhouse:

Relaxed Performance Fact Sheet

Welcome to the Thousand Islands Playhouse. This fact sheet has information on

Anne of Green Gables that you might find helpful and interesting. We hope you enjoy it!

Key Information Address: Springer Theatre, 690 Charles St. S., Gananoque, ON K7G 1A1 Date: Sunday June 30, 2019 at 2pm Show length: 2.5 hrs, with a 20 minute intermission Theatre Information

The Springer Theatre has two floors. The lower level has restrooms, the box office where you can get your tickets, a cash concession with light snacks and drinks, and a seating area facing the river. The upper level has an accessible/ family washroom and, although there isn’t an elevator, there is a wheelchair-accessible entrance on the east side of the building. The Springer Theatre is downhill from street-level. We operate a golf cart to assist people coming to see the show!

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Two Acts This is a two act play. Act One is the first half and Act Two is the second half. That means there will be an intermission (a 20 minute break for the actors, crew, and audience) part way through the play. Feel free to leave your seat at intermission for a body break. An usher will let you know when the play is starting again. About the Play This musical is based on the classic Canadian novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anne Shirley is the main character of this play. She is a red-headed orphan who is mistakenly sent to a farm called Green Gables in Avonlea, which is on Prince Edward Island. Act One focuses on Anne’s arrival. Matthew and Marilla are an elderly brother and sister who decide to adopt Anne. Anne starts going to school and making friends. There’s one boy in class who she doesn’t get along with. His name is Gilbert Blythe. Act Two takes place after summer vacation. Because of a special new teacher, Miss. Stacey, Anne starts working hard to win a scholarship to a school in Charlottetown. In the end, Anne wins the scholarship, but unfortunately Matthew passes away. Anne decides to stay in Avonlea to be with Marilla and becomes friends with Gilbert. About Anne Anne is an orphan. What is an orphan? An orphan is someone whose parents have both died. Many orphans are able to live with other family members, others are not. The ones who don’t live with family members often hope to be adopted. Anne hopes to be adopted, too. Anne cries a lot at the start of the play. Crying helps us to express our feelings. Sometimes Anne cries because she is sad and other times she cries because she is happy. Throughout the play, Anne finds a sense of belonging in Avonlea, Matthew and Marilla become her family, and Anne finds new confidence in herself.

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Fun Facts There is a live band playing all of the music that you will hear! When you are in your seat, look up and to your right and you will see a room with a glass window. The band sits in that room during the show so that the Music Director can see what is happening on stage and conduct the music in time with the action and singing. All of the items used in the play are called props. Although it might look like the actors are touching hot pots and pans – the actors are safe, because the props are not real.

What is a set? A set is the furniture and backdrops that you can see on the stage. The set helps us to know what location the action is happening in. Set changes happen often throughout the show and you will be able to see them. Set changes are important and must be carried out safely. All of the actors and crew have been trained how to move the set carefully and safely. It is fun to watch the set change! All of the costumes are made by our wardrobe or costume crew. They also provide all of the wigs, fake moustaches, and beards worn by the cast (cast is the word for all of the actors in the play, kind of like a team!). Can you tell who is wearing a wig or a fake moustache or beard?

In Act One, Matthew meets Anne and the train station and takes her home in a horse and buggy. Watch for the horse. We bet you’ve never seen one like this before! Special Things to Listen For During the egg-in-spoon race there is a fun whistle sound made by the band. Can you tell what instrument makes it? Anne loves to use long, fancy words. We’ve included a few here for you, listen for them during the show: chagrin, scrumptious, excruciatingly, kindred spirits, humble pie, threshold, delectable, and instinctively. What other words does Anne use that you like?

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Sound and Trigger Warnings In Act One, there are two cap gun shots. One at the beginning of the three-legged race and one at the beginning of the egg-in-spoon race. These races both happen during the Ice Cream song. Please cover your ears or use sound dampening headphones if this sound will be too loud for you. In Act Two, the actor playing Josie Pye screams loudly when the boys approach her with a wasps nest (remember this is just a prop). This happens in the scene when Miss. Stacey takes the class on a field trip. Please cover your ears or use sound dampening headphones if this sound will be too loud for you. At the end of Act Two, after Anne finds out she has won the scholarship, the actor playing Matthew dies when he is sitting in the rocking chair. Death is a natural part of life and this is a very sad moment in the play. Marilla and Anne cry over Matthew’s death to show their grief, as often happens in real life. Although there is a death close to the end of the play, we are left with a feeling of hope as the love between Anne and Marilla grows even stronger and they resolve to stay at Green Gables together.