Anne of Green Gables ...a new folk rock musical ___________________________ Book & Lyrics by Matte O'Brien Music by Matt Vinson Contact: Max Grossman Abrams Artists Agency 275 Seventh Ave, 26th Floor New York, NY 10001 P: 646-461-9372 E: [email protected] ii. PLACE The Town of Avonlea, on Prince Edward Island TIME The start of a new century iii. CAST ANNE SHIRLEY (12-21) Intensely imaginative and verbose orphan in search of a family and driven by a desperate desire to belong. Feisty, passionate, stubborn, and insecure, Anne journeys from awkward little girl to a young lady teetering on the brink of adulthood and a new, hard- won confidence. Strong belt/mix. DIANA BARRY / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Classmate and neighbor of Anne's and her eventual best friend. Beautiful, elegant, with a simple/naive nature that belies a keen intuition. On paper she is Anne’s opposite, but clearly her soul mate. Strong belt/mix. MARILLA CUTHBERT / ENSEMBLE (40’s-60’s) A hard, stolid spinster and the proprietress of Green Gables - the farm she shares with her younger brother, Matthew. She begrudgingly agrees to adopt Anne but struggles in warming to her. Her stubbornness and chilly demeanor - cover a good heart buried deep beneath years of pain. Powerhouse belt/mix. RACHEL LYNDE / ENSEMBLE (50’s-60's) The overly opinionated town gossip. Pious and outspoken, she prides herself on being a good Christian woman and the pillar of the community. Though she and Anne clash at first, she eventually becomes one of her fiercest advocates. Powerhouse belt/mix. RUBY GILLIS / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Boy-crazy classmate of Anne. Uncouth, melodramatic, smart-ass. Excellent singer/dancer. PRISSY ANDREWS / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Boy-crazy classmate of Anne’s, mousy and sweet. Excellent singer/dancer. JOSIE PYE / LUCILLA HARRIS / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Josie: Pretty, mean, competitive classmate of Anne’s. Lucilla: kind and courteous store clerk. Excellent singer/dancer. MRS. BARRY / ENSEMBLE (40’s) Diana’s mother, a haughty, pious woman who detests Anne for her orphan upbringing and “over-attachment” to Diana. Excellent singer/dancer. MISS STACY / ENSEMBLE (30’s-40’s) Anne's teacher. An independent, smart, driven, single woman. Excellent singer/dancer. iv. GILBERT BLYTHE / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Classmate and neighbor of Anne’s. Magnetic, handsome, warm, and perhaps a little too sure of himself. Gilbert’s world is upended when he meets his match in the headstrong, Anne. Strong pop/folk sensibility. MATTHEW CUTHBERT / ENSEMBLE (50’s-60’s) Marilla’s quiet and hard-working younger brother, and the co- occupant of their family farm, Green Gables. As warm and gentle as his sister is not, he is immediately taken by Anne’s unique and vibrant personality and successfully lobbies to give her a home. Strong singer. MOODY MCPHERSON / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Classmate of Anne’s, soft-spoken, geeky, outsider. Best friends with Ruby and Prissy. Excellent singer/dancer. CHARLIE SLOAN / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Girl-crazy classmate of Anne’s, a boy's boy, not very bright. Excellent singer/dancer. JUDE ANDREWS / MR. EDWARDS / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Jude: Classmate of Anne's, and Prissy Andrew's brother. A boy's boy, not very bright. Mr. Edwards: a kindly real estate agent. Excellent singer/dancer FRED WRIGHT / ENSEMBLE (12-21) Diana Barry’s intended, handsome, upright guy. Excellent singer/dancer. MR. PHILLIPS / MR. BLYTHE / ENSEMBLE (50's - 60's) Mr. Philips: Anne’s stern teacher; Mr. Blythe: Gilbert Blythe’s father and the former beau of Marilla. Excellent singer/dancer. v. A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS Anne of Green Gables is intended to be performed on a unit set with no break in momentum between one scene and the next. Like growing up, the show should progress far quicker than we are aware. The chapter numbers and titles written in the script should be projected onto the set to mark transitions and provide the audience with necessary context. Exits and entrances should be parcelled out judiciously; the majority of the ensemble should be ever present. There is a strong sense of community in the original L.M. Montgomery stories, and it is imperative to recreate this feeling amongst the cast and audience. Most importantly, the show is intended to give a glimpse into Anne's imagination. The actors should move fluidly between their duties as characters in the story and narrators of the story. The company is aware of the tale they are telling and the show they are performing. They should constantly be finding ways to directly engage the audience in the process. In short, destroy the fourth wall! - M&M Preset: An empty space. The following quote is visible... "It is never quite safe to think we have done with life. When we imagine we have finished our story fate has a trick of turning the page and showing us yet another chapter." ~ L.M. Montgomery At Rise: the quote fades and “CHAPTER 21: THE BEND IN THE ROAD” is seen as Anne, in a beautiful pastel green gown, holding a small bouquet of flowers, watches a wedding. Distant voices... DIANA (OFF) I... FRED (OFF) I... DIANA (OFF) I MAKE A VOW... FRED (OFF) I MAKE A VOW... DIANA (OFF) FRED (OFF) (CONT'D) IT’S ONLY YOU AND I FOREVER IT’S ONLY EVER YOU AND I NOW... FOREVER HERE AND NOW... DIANA (OFF) MY LIFE, MY LOVE, MY BOSOM FRIEND... FRED (OFF) MY LOVE AND MY BEST FRIEND... BOTH (OFF) I PROMISE TO RESPECT YOU, TO DEFEND YOU, AND PROTECT YOU... DIANA (OFF) THIS I SWEAR... FRED (OFF) THIS I SWEAR... BOTH (OFF) THIS I SWEAR... ANNE UNTIL THE BITTER END... Anne’s bouquet of flowers slips from her fingers and tumbles to the ground - drums are heard. Time slowly begins to reverse. Characters swirl around Anne as she transforms from a young woman back into the little girl who first arrived in Avonlea. 3/6/18 2. “CHAPTER 21: THE BEND IN THE ROAD” vanishes as “CHAPTER 20: THE REAPER WHOSE NAME IS DEATH” replaces it, then “CHAPTER 19,” “CHAPTER 18,” etc - as people from her past flood the stage... ENSEMBLE QUIET, QUIET, QUIET LITTLE TOWN... MARILLA ...you shouldn’t waste time concerning yourself with what people say, Anne... ENSEMBLE SLEEPY, SILENT, QUIET LITTLE TOWN... RACHEL ...she’s terribly homely... MR. PHILLIPS ...Anne Shirley has a very bad temper... ENSEMBLE NOTHING SPECIAL, A TINY LITTLE PLACE OF NO RENOWN... MRS. BARRY ...a rotten orphan like her doesn’t belong among decent people... MISS STACEY ...Women like us - like you and I - we are the disobedient! We are the discontent... ENSEMBLE THIS PEACEFUL, PLEASANT, PERFECT, LITTLE QUIET LITTLE TOWN... MATTHEW ...you didn’t have a foot in the door here before I knew you were just passing through... GILBERT ...Anne, let me help you. Please... DIANA ...you’re a queer girl, Anne Shirley. But, I believe I’m going to like you very much... ENSEMBLE A TOWN ON AN ISLAND ON A PLANET LOST IN SPACE... THIS PEACEFUL, PLEASANT, PERFECT, LITTLE QUIET LITTLE PLACE... QUIET, QUIET, QUIET LITTLE TOWN MY SILENT, SLEEPY, QUIET LITTLE TOWN WHERE I RISE TO GREET THE DAWN EACH DAY 3/6/18 3. AND AT NIGHT I LAY ME DOWN IN THIS... DIANA & GILBERT SLEEPY... ENSEMBLE SILENT... DIANA & GILBERT PEACEFUL... ENSEMBLE PERFECT... DIANA & GILBERT QUIET, LITTLE... A train whistle is heard. It is many years earlier, Anne sits on a bench in the Carmody train station, waiting for Matthew Cuthbert. As we arrive at... CHAPTER 1: RACHEL LYNDE IS SURPRISED In another time and place, Rachel Lynde appears... RACHEL I SAW MATTHEW CUTHBERT, DRESSED LIKE SUNDAY, HEADING UP TOWARD CARMODY... HIS BUGGY HITCHED TO THE SORREL MARE, WHICH MAKES A PERSON THINK HE’S TRAVELIN’ SOMEWHERE OUT AWAY FROM AVONLEA... BUT GOSSIP IS A SIN... YES, GOSSIP IS A SIN... SO, LET’S BE CLEAR YOU DIDN’T HEAR IT FROM ME... Mrs. Barry, having heard Rachel’s story, rushes to tell others. MRS. BARRY RACHEL LYNDE SAW MATTHEW CUTHBERT, RACING DOWN THE ROAD, QUICK AS COULD BE... NOW, MATTHEW RARELY LEAVES- MRS. BARRY & ENSEMBLE GREEN GABLES- MRS. BARRY BARELY STEPS BEYOND HIS STABLES, LET ALONE THE LINES OF AVONLEA... SOMETHING’S COMING ROUND THE BEND - JUST WAIT AND SEE! RACHEL BUT GOSSIP IS A SIN... 3/6/18 4. MRS. BARRY & ENSEMBLE GOSSIP IS A SIN... RACHEL YES, GOSSIP IS A SIN... MRS. BARRY & ENSEMBLE GOSSIP IS A SIN... RACHEL SO, LET’S BE CLEAR... MRS. BARRY & ENSEMBLE SO, IF YOU CHOOSE TO SHARE... RACHEL YOU DIDN’T HEAR... MRS. BARRY & ENSEMBLE PLEASE BE AWARE... ALL YOU NEVER HEARD A WORD OF IT FROM ME! Diana and Gilbert watch as Rachel’s news ricochets around town. DIANA & GILBERT QUIET, QUIET, QUIET LITTLE TOWN SLEEPY, SILENT, QUIET LITTLE TOWN OH, NOTHING EVER HAPPENS HERE OF ANY GREAT RENOWN IN THIS - ENSEMBLE CHARMING! DIANA & GILBERT CHATTY... ENSEMBLE GORGEOUS! DIANA & GILBERT GABBY... ALL QUIET LITTLE TOWN! Rachel’s news begins to spread like wild fire... MR. PHILLIPS RACHEL LYNDE TOLD MRS. BARRY SHE SAW MATTHEW CUTHBERT, IN A PANIC, HEADING OFF THIS MORNING, 3/6/18 5. NO WORD WHERE HE WAS GOING, ONLY DOWN THE ROAD... MR. PHILLIPS (CONT'D) PRISSY & RUBY & MOODY TOWARD CARMODY... MR. PHILLIPS SAID MRS. BARRY LOOKING SNEAKY AND HEARD FROM RACHEL LYNDE THAT SUSPICIOUS, MATTHEW CUTHBERT, LOOKING SUBVERSIVE, SURREPTITIOUS! MANIC, IN A STATE OF PANIC, WELL, I HATE TO SAY WHAT I RACED AWAY AT A PACE THAT HEARD TODAY, WAS ABSURD. HE WAS DRIVING BUT THE WORD TODAY, AS HE LIKE A LUNATIC I HEARD, BUT SPED AWAY, GOSSIP IS A SIN - IS A TRAGEDY, A DEPRAVITY, BUT BE DISCREET, CAUSE I MUST REPEAT THAT - GOSSIP IS A SIN! The gossipers, Diana and Gilbert all blend together... DIANA & GILBERT ALL OH, MY QUIET LITTLE TOWN GOSSIP IS A SIN YES, GOSSIP IS A SIN! OH, MY QUIET LITTLE TOWN SO, LET’S BE CLEAR YOU DIDN’T HEAR IT FROM - Lighting shift - sudden silence - as Matthew Cuthbert appears on the train platform. He is looking for someone - not Anne. CHAPTER 2: MATTHEW CUTHBERT IS SURPRISED ANNE MATTHEW? MATTHEW CUTHBERT? IS IT YOU? IS IT REALLY YOU? YOU’RE WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR. FOR HOURS, SITTING, WAITING FOR... I WAITED TILL I DIDN’T THINK THAT I COULD WAIT ONE MINUTE MORE. I HOPE THAT YOU KNOW THAT. OH, I HOPE THAT YOU DO. ALL OF MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN WAITING... I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU. I’VE BEEN WAITING SINCE HALF PAST TEN, I DIDN’T THINK YOU’D COME, BUT THEN I SAW YOU STANDING THERE WITH YOUR SUNDAY SUIT AND SILVER HAIR - AND I DON’T KNOW HOW I KNEW, BUT I KNEW AT ONCE THAT IT WAS YOU! OH! MY NAME’S ANNE SHIRLEY - THAT’S ANNE SPELLED WITH AN ‘E.’ SO, IF YOU’RE MATTHEW CUTHBERT,