Anne of Green Gables was an emotional play full of heartfelt scenes, realistic characters, and a story that cannot be forgotten.
Polly Gomes, who played Anne, portrayed a wide range of emotions felt by her character. She immersed herself in this character making it easy for the audience to delve into the story. From start to finish, Gomes, and the entire cast, projected her voice all the way to the back of the auditorium without faltering.
The set design was split into three different scenes. The center scene was Green Gables, which showed the inside of a ranch house with a table set for three. On the right, stood a classroom and on the left was a living room with a couch depicting the Barry household. The triadic set design worked well because panels covered the rooms that were not being used at the time. The panels were not distracting because they were painted different shades of green, similar to bushes or trees. The backstage crew efficiently changed scenes thanks to this set up.
The character development portrayed by the actors was phenomenal and by the end of the play, the audience felt as though they had been watching the characters develop for years. Anne was still unapologetically herself, but her colorful personality was slightly more subdued which resulted in a positive change in her character development.
Anne’s character development is clear during her interactions with Gilbert Blythe, played by Toan Nguyen. At the beginning of the play, they despise one another, but throughout the scenes, they learn to become friends, which makes a character progression that is relatable for the audience.
Director and Producer, Tara Brooke Watkins, put together a wonderful production. I could tell she put everything she had into this play, because it showed through the characters’ emotions and how they made me feel throughout the performance. Overall, a great performance by the ENC’s theater department.