The audience rose to their feet as the curtain fell on Friday night’s premiere of Lewis-Palmer’s school play “Anne of Green Gables.” The play was a tremendous success with a nearly full house and superb acting.

The touching story of Anne Shirley was witty and heartwarming. The audience was filled with laughter at times and fell dead silent during the tear-inducing scenes.

The audience followed Anne on her journey through life as an orphan who is accidentally delivered to Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert. The Cuthberts let her stay with them in Green Gables and treat Anne as if she were their own daughter.

Anne goes to school and makes long lasting friends, though she finds herself constantly competing academically with Gilbert Blythe. They are nonchalant to each other over a long period of time, but become good friends by the end of the play.

A grand total of five weeks was put into the play. Cast and crew also worked weekends to create the set.

The talented Andrew Swanson played the character of Gilbert Blythe. “We were pretty confident with our makeup and costumes. We thought we did well, but we thought we could have done better,” Swanson said.

If he were to do something differently, Swanson would have watched the movie Anne of Green Gables to see how the characters acted so he could better portray Gilbert.

Anne Shirley overcomes several trials, makes lifelong friends and becomes comfortable in her own skin. This heartwarming, perfectly casted story was without a doubt a crowd-pleaser. Only praise can be offered to the talented cast and crew of “Anne of Green Gables.”