Season 1: Anne of Green Gables

It was summer 2021 and I was driving to the cottage with my sister. In plain words, I was not doing okay. Feelings of boredom, apathy, and disconnection from my community were at an all time high. To make me feel better, my sister put on show tunes and we belted our way down highway 169. Then Open the Window from Anne of Green Gables came on. I was hit with a lightning bolt: “It’s time to start my theatre company” (...of course that’s hyperbolic, but you’re about to watch a musical). 

Hillcrest Village Community Players is a 10-year dream in the making. Theatre has been an outlet through my entire life to express, connect, and grow. Building such an outlet in my own backyard has been an inspiring labour of love. From gathering a production team to finding musicians and casting, we are clearly a community with the appetite (and talent!) for local community-based arts! 

Choosing Anne of Green Gables the Musical as the inaugural production was a no-brainer. It is a story of belonging, family, and community. After two years navigating the pandemic, we are yearning for community and yearning to be together again. I think isolation has made us deeply realize how important relationships are, and how important it is to connect with one another. 

Anne’s grandiose imagination is something from which we all can take inspiration. Her imagination and appreciation for simple life joys got her through when life was challenging. 

After leaving our production, we hope you feel connection and joy. The joy of belonging and the joy of community - and of course, the joy of returning to live theatre!

A special thank you to my parents for their support, advice, and encouragement. Thank you to my friends for your patience with my lack of availability while making this dream a reality. Thank you to my community for welcoming Hillcrest Village Community Players with open, enthusiastic arms. 

This production is dedicated to the Mihevcs - and to my Starimama, whose refugee story coming to Canada with her sisters and cousins is, at its core, one of kindred spirits. 

Krista