A Satisfying Green Gables in the Park

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SummerStage of Delafield 'Anne of Green Gables'

SummerStage of Delafield 'Anne of Green Gables'

A peaceful early summer settles over SummerStage of Delafield with an adaptation of L. M. Montgomery’s beloved classic Anne of Green Gables. The outdoor stage serves as a beautiful theater for the story of a late 19th century orphan who struggles to adapt to life with her adoptive parents in rural Canada. Donna Daniels and William Molitor bring an endearing energy to the stage as Anne’s adoptive parents. Daniels’ firm parenting hand plays well against Molitor’s strong, sympathetically silent presence. Teen actor Lydia Wilhelm is charmingly nuanced as an 11-year-old who briskly moves from an extreme amplification of emotional sensitivity in childhood to a smartly level-headed adolescence by the end of the drama.

The quaintly episodic coming-of-age follows Anne from arrival to adoption to school to graduation. The Peter DeLaurier adaptation is framed in a way that subtly casts the story of Anne through the perspective of parents. The audience is introduced to the wide-eyed, imaginative orphan slowly through the concerns of her parents and their peers. Before long, she’s advancing through school and becoming an adult herself. The pacing required to do this would pose a serious challenge to any cast. Moments need to be held for long enough to make an impact on the audience while keeping everything moving quickly enough to land a satisfying ending. Director Kelly Goeller aids a respectably large ensemble in finding just the right rhythm for the production. Wilhelm is impressively sharp with the intricacies of emotional development. Her performance goes a long way toward making the dizzying rush of years feel perfectly natural within the confines of the stage.

SummerStage of Delafield’s production of Anne of Green Gables runs through June 25 at Lapham Peak in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. For tickets, visit summerstageofdelafield.org.