Patterns and Puffed Sleeves - Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of L.M. Montgomery's birth, The Toronto Reference Library is presenting a special exhibit called "Patterns and Puffed Sleeves – Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables."

The exhibit highlights costume designs from four screen and stage productions of L.M. Montgomery's most famous story Anne of Green Gables. Designs are featured from Sullivan Entertainment’s Anne of Green Gables (1985) and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (1987). Costume designs are also displayed from the 1994 production of Anne of Green Gables by Theatre Calgary and the 1974 production of The Charlottetown Festival’s Anne of Green Gables: The Musical. The exhibit features the work of award-winning costume designers Martha Mann and Marie Day. Along with viewing their hand-drawn designs, visitors can view the final costumes themselves, as well as photographs and memorabilia from the productions.


Here is the description of the exhibit from the Toronto Public Library:

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lucy Maud Montgomery!

Lucy Maud Montgomery is an iconic Canadian author whose works are popular world-wide. In celebration of the anniversary of her birth we are exploring one of her most notable pieces of literature — Anne of Green Gables.

This exhibition features original costume designs, from both stage and screen, by designers Martha Mann and Marie Day from TPL's Special Collections in the Arts. These designs were used in Sullivan Entertainment’s Emmy award-winning Anne of Green Gables series, Theatre Calgary’s 1994 production and Charlottetown Festival’s long-running Anne of Green Gables musical.

Explore the world of Anne of Green Gables through the lens of a costume designer! See how they use fashion to bring the story to theatrical life!

Do not miss out seeing actual garments from the 1985 Sullivan Entertainment production of Anne of Green Gables in the entrance window to the Toronto Reference Library.

Special thanks

Sullivan Entertainment Inc. for sponsoring the exhibit through loans of costumes and photographs from their productions of Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel.

Theatre Calgary for providing a program and images of their 1994 production of Anne of Green Gables.

The "Patterns and Puffed Sleeves" exhibit opened on October 5, 2024 and will continue through January 12, 2025. It is located in the TD Gallery at The Toronto Reference Library on 789 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4W 2G8. Entry to the exhibit is free, and free guided tours will take place on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. during the exhibit's run.


Official Website:
Patterns and Puffed Sleeves - Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables Exhibit at The Toronto Reference Library

Image Credit:
Images from Patterns and Puffed Sleeves - Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables Exhibit at The Toronto Reference Library.

Reference:
Patterns and Puffed Sleeves: Celebrating Costume Design through Anne of Green Gables. (2024, October). Toronto Public Library. Retrieved from: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/programs-and-classes/exhibits/patterns-and-puffed-sleeves.jsp.

Created October 7, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Megan Follows on Playing Anne of Green Gables

Megan Follows is known for playing the outspoken, imaginative and talkative Anne Shirley in the 1985 TV miniseries Anne of Green Gables, which was based on L.M. Montgomery's novel. In December 2023, Follows reminisced about how playing Anne Shirley changed her life in a podcast conversation with the CBC's Tom Power. In the introduction to the podcast, Power mentions how the conversation made him rethink Anne of Green Gables and consider how radical the story was then and how relevant it still is today. I loved their conversation. Give it a listen!

Sometimes actors dislike being identified with a particular role, but not Megan Follows. She expressed gratitude about playing Anne Shirley and emphasized how great it was to play a character that was "a girl that got to express rage." When asked about her relationship with the character, Follows responded, "I love Anne...She and I have a great relationship. We're tight. We're bosom buddies. I think she's an extraordinary character, and uhm, I always felt incredibly grateful to have played her and to have been introduced to a strong-willed, female-driven story where you got to be number one from the point of view of a story." Often, Follows reflects, women are the appendage in stories and not the backbone or driving force. In contrast, Anne has a driving force to belong and to be seen for herself, and Follows believes that this is what resonates with people.

Megan Follows delved back into L.M. Montgomery's stories in preparing to record an Emily of New Moon audiobook a few years ago and then to direct a new Audible Anne of Green Gables audiobook featuring Michela Luci, Catherine O’Hara, Victor Garber, and Sandra Oh. Follows remarks that her deep dive back into the stories allowed her to discover "the subversiveness of the text." She had previously understood Montgomery's humor, but now she observed her way of pointing out hypocrisy through Anne. Follows feels that the power of the character scares people.

Follows sees Anne's compulsive talking as coming from a dark place where Anne chooses to go toward the light, not out of naivety, but for her own survival. As an example, she mentions how Anne planned to sleep in a cherry tree at the train station. She believes that Anne came up with this idea for safety, but that Anne focused on the beauty of the blossoms because she was terrified to be abandoned and alone in the world. Follows says that Montgomery used poetry because children don't actually speak this way.

Follows also reflected on her amazing experiences working with Colleen Dewhurst (Marilla Cuthbert) and Patricia Hamilton (Rachel Lynde). She discussed how Richard Farnsworth (Matthew Cuthbert) was only available for six days of filming, so she worked very long hours with him to film his scenes. Later, she did scenes with a grip stand with a hat on it as a stand-in. Follows also talked about the raspberry cordial scene with Schuyler Grant, who played Diana Barry. They were giving Grant glasses of watered down grape juice or Ribena, and she really did get sick after filming the scene multiple times. Follows briefly mentioned that her heart always smiles for Jonathan Crombie and that they laughed a lot.

Power asked Follows about her audition for Anne. Strangely, the day after her audition, her tape disappeared, and she had to redo her audition at the last minute. Follows mentions that there was another actress who was the first choice for Anne Shirley and that she had to fight for the role. Luckily, she had advocates at the CBC and someone at PBS who believed that she was the right fit for the role.

Later, when asked about how the success of the miniseries affected her, she reflected that she is grateful that she did a good job playing Anne, and that she has received a tremendous amount of goodwill because of the character and how much the character and writing mean to people.

Toward the end of the conversation, Follows talked about how she is currently developing a limited series on the life of L.M. Montgomery, her legacy and the power of her writing. I can't wait to hear more.


Image credit:
Photograph of Megan Follows as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables © Sullivan Entertainment.

Reference:
Megan Follows: Playing Anne in Anne of Green Gables and bringing the story to a new generation. (2023, December 15). Q with Tom Power. CBC Arts & Entertainment. Retrieved from: https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/megan-follows-playing-anne-in-anne-of-green-gables/id256943801?i=1000638664483

Created May 24, 2024. Last updated August 26, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Who is Your Fictional Crush?

Might it be Gilbert Blythe or Anne Shirley?

I read a fun article on literary crushes by Alison Flood at The Guardian today that mentions Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. Flood describes a petition that was launched in Japan to legalize marriages between humans and cartoon characters. Flood writes, "it made me wonder which fictional character I'd marry, legal niceties permitting. As a teenager I'd have plumped for any of the Georgette Heyer heroes (particularly the Earl of Rule), or Jilly Cooper's Rupert Campbell-Black, or Rhett Butler. Before those days I had quite a crush on Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables and Laurie from Little Women."

Do you have a fictional crush? If so, who is it? L.M. Montgomery's Gilbert Blythe is surely on my list. And I know from my many years on the Anne of Green Gables Forum that Jonathan Crombie's Gilbert makes many women swoon. We joked for years there about solid chocolate Gilbert dolls.


Reference:
Flood, Alison. (2008, October 30). Who is your literary crush? The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2008/oct/30/literary-crush-alison-flood

Image credit:
Photograph of Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert Blythe and Megan Follows as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel © Sullivan Entertainment

Created October 31, 2008. Last updated April 19, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Dalvay-by-the-Sea

Dalvay-by-the-Sea is a breaktaking National Historic Site perched on the north shore of Prince Edward Island, Canada, within the scenic Prince Edward Island National Park.

This stunning summer retreat was built by Alexander MacDonald, a wealthy industrialist from Cincinnati, Ohio. Enchanted by the island's charm during a family vacation in 1895, MacDonald purchased 120 acres of land along the north shore and constructed this elegant summer home. He named it “Dalvay-by-the-Sea,” in homage to his childhood home in Scotland. The building is a striking example of Queen Anne Revival architecture, with its elegant dormers, bay windows, and gables, offering sweeping views of the ocean and Dalvay Lake.

Following MacDonald’s death, Dalvay-by-the-Sea changed hands several times. The property is now owned and maintained by Parks Canada. Today, it operates as a seasonal hotel and restaurant, open from May through October. Whether you choose to stay in one of the charming rooms or cottages, indulge in a delicious meal, or reserve a spot for high tea on select dates, Dalvay offers a quintessential island experience.

For fans of Sullivan Entertainment’s Anne of Green Gables miniseries, Dalvay-by-the-Sea is instantly recognizable as the iconic White Sands Hotel. This is where Anne Shirley, portrayed by Megan Follows, captivated her audience with a passionate recital of “The Highwayman” (though the interior scenes were filmed at the McLean House in North York, Ontario). In the sequel, Anne of Avonlea, Dalvay-by-the-Sea serves as the picturesque backdrop as Anne chases her windblown manuscript across the dunes. The hotel also plays a prominent role in Sullivan Entertainment’s Road to Avonlea television series, where it becomes Felix King’s workplace and Hetty King’s co-proprietor venture.

Dalvay-by-the-Sea is not only a place of historic and cinematic significance but also a serene haven of beauty. Spend some time soaking in the stunning landscape from an Adirondack chair in the front yard, savoring the peaceful views that make this location so unforgettable.



A short stroll from the hotel leads you to Dalvay Beach, a rich stretch of red sand where the rhythm of the waves and the pristine beauty of the shoreline create a perfect escape.



The drive along the north shore near the hotel is a visual delight, with lush grasses swaying in the breeze and picturesque dunes rolling toward the horizon.




Official Website:
Dalvay by the Sea

Location:
Dalvay-by-the-Sea
16 Cottage Crescent, Dalvay, PE, C0A 1P0, Canada.



Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright OpenStreetMap.

References:
Read More about Dalvay’s History. Dalvay by the Sea. Retrieved from: https://www.dalvaybythesea.com/history

Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/dalvay

Introducing The "Real" White Sands Hotel - Dalvay By The Sea. Anne of Green Gables. Sullivan Entertainment. Retrieved from: https://www.anneofgreengables.com/blog/introducing-the-real-white-sands-hotel-dalvay-by-the-sea

Pacheco, Adriana. 10 Anne of Green Gables Famous Filming Locations. Anne of Green Gables. Sullivan Entertainment. Retrieved from: https://www.anneofgreengables.com/blog/10-anne-of-green-gables-famous-filming-locations


Created July 17, 2007. Last updated August 8, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Green Gables (1985)

Anne of Green Gables is a made-for-television miniseries that first aired on CBC TV in 1985. Sullivan Entertainment loyally adapted L.M. Montgomery's novel of the same name for the screen.

Directed by Kevin Sullivan, Anne of Green Gables starred Megan Follows as Anne Shirley, Colleen Dewhurst and Richard Farnsworth as siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, Jonathan Crombie as Anne's rival Gilbert Blythe, and Schuyler Grant as Anne's bosom friend Diana Barry. The film's music, composed by Hagood Hardy, is distinctive and memorable. Filmed in both Ontario and on Prince Edward Island, the beauty of the Canadian scenery is candy for the eyes.

The movie was highly acclaimed for its script, cast, and loyalty to the novel's character. The Toronto Star glowingly described Anne of Green Gables as, "Cult phenomenon. Cultural ambassador. Canadian heroine."
 
The miniseries earned countless awards in 1986, including nine Gemini Awards and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. Kevin Sullivan received the George Peabody Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting for his work in bringing the film to life.

Image credit:
Photograph of Megan Follows as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables © Sullivan Entertainment.

External link:
Anne of Green Gables: The Official Website

Purchase and watch Anne of Green Gables:

Created April 17, 2001. Last updated March 18, 2021.
© worldofanneshirley.com

The Anne of Green Gables Storybook

The Anne of Green Gables Storybook, based on the Kevin Sullivan film of Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic novel, is a simplified book for young readers. The storybook was adapted by Fiona McHugh, who developed and wrote screenplays for many episodes of the Road to Avonlea television series. The book features stills from the beloved Anne of Green Gables miniseries produced by Sullivan Entertainment in 1985. The book was first published by Firefly Books in 1987. I own the 6th printing in paperback, which was published in 1996.

Here is the book's description from Shop at Sullivan:

The classic story of "Anne of Green Gables," simplified for a younger generation. The Anne of Green Gables Storybook contains simpler language for young readers, as well as 76 full color photographs from Sullivan Entertainment's Emmy Award Winning Adaptation. This edition is a book that every lover of "Anne" will treasure.

Here is the book's description from the back cover:

"She'll have to go back."

It is the turn of the century. Matthew Cuthbert, an elderly bachelor living with his spinster sister Marilla, has decided to adopt an orphan...a nice sturdy boy to help Matthew with work on the farm.

But the orphanage mistakenly sent a girl instead, a romantic, mischievous red-haired girl who was desperate for a home. She was also affected with an exhausting habit: she would not stop talking. She would definitely have to go back.

But the longer Anne Shirley remained, the more Matthew and Marilla could not imagine Green Gables without her.

The original Anne of Green Gables has delighted millions of children since it was first published. Now younger readers (and grown-ups who have a heart-felt affection for the story) can enjoy a briefer, illustrated version based on the Kevin Sullivan production that thrilled millions. The Anne of Green Gables Storybook contains simpler language for young readers, the storyline and 76 lovely full color photographs from the Emmy award-winning television production.

This edition is a book that every lover of "Anne" will treasure.

Review

"Fiona McHugh's adaptation of the film and Montgomery's novel is a faithful precis of the original and has many charms of its own.... McHugh effectively novelizes the screenplay with sparkling dialogue, loving depictions of a place and time now lost, and lively characterizations... The Storybook is a highly enjoyable read -- a careful retelling of the original for younger readers that picks up all the humour and heart of the much-loved classic, without oversimplifying or condescending."
— Elizabeth Walker, CM Magazine

Image credit:
Scanned book cover of my copy of The Anne of Green Gables Storybook.

Purchase and read The Anne of Green Gables Storybook:


Created December 15, 1999. Last updated September 18, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com