Ottawa students proved once again that local high school theatre can hold its own against any stage in the city, with All Saints High School delivering a standout production of Anne of Green Gables – The Musical that left audiences thoroughly enchanted.
Directed by Shawna Pasini, the show — the ninth reviewed this season under the Cappies program — transported audiences to the rolling fields of Prince Edward Island, where the irrepressible Anne Shirley (with an E, thank you very much) crashes into the quiet lives of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. The premise is deceptively simple: a farm couple requests a boy to help with chores, and instead gets a whirlwind of imagination, stubbornness, and warmth in the form of one red-headed orphan.
A Cast That Committed Fully
Cappies critic Firdaus El-Darymli of Merivale High School noted how the cast threw themselves into the material with genuine conviction. Anne of Green Gables is a demanding show — it requires its leads to balance comedy, vulnerability, and old-fashioned charm without ever feeling stiff or stagey. By all accounts, All Saints pulled it off.
The production leaned into the story's emotional core: a child desperate to belong finding family in unexpected places. That's a universal theme, but it lands with particular warmth in the hands of a young cast who aren't far removed from navigating their own questions of identity and belonging.
Why the Cappies Program Matters
The Cappies (Critics and Awards Program) is a unique initiative where high school students review each other's theatrical productions, giving young performers and critics alike a taste of the real arts world. Ottawa has a strong Cappies community, with schools across the city — from Merivale to Lisgar to All Saints — supporting each other's work throughout the school year.
It's the kind of grassroots arts culture that often flies under the radar but quietly builds the next generation of Ottawa performers, directors, and arts lovers.
Ottawa's High School Theatre Scene Is Thriving
This production is just one example of the vibrant student theatre happening across Ottawa every spring. From small black-box productions to full-scale musicals with live orchestras, local high schools consistently deliver performances that rival community theatre in ambition and execution.
If you haven't made time to catch a local school production this season, All Saints' Anne of Green Gables is a reminder of what you might be missing. These shows are typically low-cost, community-friendly, and filled with the kind of unfiltered enthusiasm that's harder to find on bigger stages.
Keep an eye on the Cappies Ottawa website for the full season lineup and upcoming award nominations — the annual Cappies Gala, where student performers are recognized across dozens of categories, is always a highlight of Ottawa's spring arts calendar.
Source: Ottawa Citizen / Cappies. Review by Firdaus El-Darymli, Merivale High School.
