Valley tour an exuberant success

(Written by Sarah Rennie) Catch yourself randomly singing about ice cream, school again or banishing a certain redhead from Avonlea? You must be among the thousand strong fortunate enough to have enjoyed the Rural Arts Project’s enthralling production of Anne of Green Gables. With thirteen shows in five municipalities, the touring musical under the big top was nothing short of phenomenal. In fact, “magical” seems to be the word most commonly used to describe the play by audience members, who have come away from the experience positively glowing from both nostalgic whimsy and sheer delight in seeing such beloved characters brought to life by a cast of exceptionally talented local players. “I was worried a bit because the weather was so hot during our final week of rehearsals,” says Director Tina Bye, who credits her cast for willing themselves into period costumes during one of the warmest Julies on record. “We had the sprinkler going for dress rehearsals,” she adds, noting how the energy of the 21 members of the youth ensemble (a number being graduates of the Summer Arts Camp and CVR’s Performing Arts Department) drove the show early on while the adult cast members were able to dig in when long sweltering days set in to make sure all was ready for opening night. A role to remember Anne Shirley, the fiery redhead with a huge imagination, was played to perfection by two incredible lead actresses in Callan Forrester and Dakota Adams, while each highlighted different aspects of Anne’s character in their interpretation of the role. And with each version of Anne, the cast was able to adapt their own actions and reactions to match – a testament to the talent and professionalism of the entire ensemble. “I wanted to make sure to catch every aspect of her imagination and determination,” says Forrester, who asserts it was an honour to portray Anne, a favourite childhood character. At the same time, she admits there was no escaping the pressure of taking on such an iconic role. “Anne has been so much fun to play, and I have to say, I’ll miss my freckles,” she winks. For Forrester, a CVR graduate, another positive was the opportunity to tour so many of the hidden corners of the Valley. “It is truly the ideal spot for a show like this,” she says. Community pride “It looked so perfectly out of another century,” says Bye, recalling images such as the ladies of Avonlea in full regalia backstage knitting in lawn chairs waiting to go on, or the kids playing in fields in full costume. “All the locations were terrific in enhancing that sense,” she adds. “We can’t compete with the city musicals for budgets, and gadgets and full orchestras and equity actors, but we can compete with an incredible pool of talent, and a rural aesthetic so different from an urban one.” In this regard, the local production of Anne of Green Gables went above and beyond all expectations for a musical in that very few Broadway shows are able to generate and enhance a sense of community and pride in location to this extent. And, says Bye, “It feels a lot like this is what we were meant to do.”