Guest Director, Cherished Story, Amazing Show: Anne of Green Gables
UMD Theatre presents Anne of Green Gables, showing Oct. 10-12 and Oct. 15-18
Photo by CAHSS Photographer.
Whether Anne of Green Gables is new to you or you’ve read the books a hundred times, UMD Theatre’s next production is sure to pull at your heartstrings and make you laugh.
UMD Theatre presents Anne of Green Gables, an adaptation of what director Julie Ahasay calls “a very beloved novel.” Ahasay said the novel is known to almost any woman above the age of thirty, and even though it isn’t taught too much anymore, some people still know it as their parents' or grandparents' favorite book.
Ahasay talked a bit about the show, saying Anne is “a very inspirational character because she’s kind of on her own, and she's tough and she makes kind of funny mistakes, and she's very loving and just changes the town’s life in so many ways.”
This is Ahasay’s first time directing at UMD, so she had a clean slate when casting the show. Since she didn’t quite know everyone yet, it made the first read-through of the script even more impactful when she saw everyone in their roles, even at that early stage.
Lots of people help make the shows at UMD Theatre possible, something that Ahasay loves. “There's a whole student crew helping with costume changes, makeup and wig changes, and moving stuff around and keeping the props going,” among other jobs like stage managers and dramaturgs for research.
Anne of Green Gables premiere’s October 10th in the Marshall Performing Arts Center Photo by. CAHSS Photographer
The show promises to be another great one for UMD Theatre, with actors using the whole space on the mainstage and in front of it, too. Ahasay says, “we’re using every little inch of it.” Audiences can also get excited about some tech that hasn’t been used a whole bunch before in the department. “We’re using projections,” Ahasay said, “in a big way.”
Maryn Cruser, who plays Anne, Trey Duncanson, who plays her adoptive father and Ahasay all say audiences should expect optimism and laughter. Duncanson related rehearsals to excavating the show, digging it up and discovering where it sits well. “It’s very satisfying,” Duncanson said. Rosa Olson, the lead dramaturg, related to that as well, saying one of the best parts of the show is “so many other people on the production team have a really strong emotional connection to this story.”
Anne of Green Gables shows at the Marshall Performing Arts Center Mainstage October 10-12, and October 15-18, with the 2 o’clock performance on the 18th being an ASL performance. Maryn Cruser leaves the audience with this advice: “maybe bring some tissues… But for the most part [the show] is a joyous fun time.”