Here's a nice article on Martha Irving, the actress playing Marilla Cuthbert for a second year in Anne and Gilbert - The Musical.
Made for Marilla
Martha Irving uses her early years on P.E.I. to influence her character in the Harbourfront Theatre production of Anne & Gilbert - The Musical
BY SALLY COLE
The Guardian
Charlottetown, P.E.I.
June 19, Friday, 2009
Martha Irving believes her life has many parallels with the story of Anne of Green Gables.
“Like Anne, I moved to P.E.I. when I (was a girl). I came not as an Islander but immediately fell in love with the place.
“We lived in an old farmhouse with green gables. I also played in the woods near our house and loved the romantic idea of going into the garden and picking beans for supper and hanging the wash on the line. These things imbued my romantic soul with love for this place,” says the Canadian stage and screen actress.
In her life, there was also a Gilbert — a boy she competed for marks with (and felt shy about) and a girl she met in Grade 7 who became her Diana.
“We’ve been best friends all our lives,” says Irving, the daughter of Ron and Daphne Irving, who grew up in the rural community of York Point, which is now part of the Town of Cornwall.
Like many other girls, the works of L.M. Montgomery influenced her life.
“From an early age, her stories resonated with me. Then after I got married I had myself a little redhead. Now 15, she is quite precocious with a huge vocabulary and imagination.
“Luckily she doesn’t have Anne’s temper — knock on wood,” laughs the mother of Madelaine Claire Higgins.
While she shares similarities with Anne, Irving’s theatrical desires have leaned towards a certain spinster.
And that’s why she is so happy to come home again this summer to perform the role of Marilla Cuthbert in Anne & Gilbert - The Musical.
“I always wanted to play Marilla. But I had to wait until I was old enough. And now I’m so lucky that this opportunity came along,” says Irving who will reprise her role for the second year when the curtain rises on the show at the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside on June 23.
Based on Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island, which are sequels to Anne of Green Gables by Montgomery, the musical by Nancy White, Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser chronicles Anne’s coming of age and her rocky romance with Gilbert Blythe, her childhood friend and rival.
“What I like about (Marilla) is her conflicted character.
“She feels tremendous emotion, but she’s not allowed to express it.
“So she has this wonderful prim and proper side mixed with vulnerability so there’s always something interesting in the scene as she tries to figure out how to express herself and not be overcome,” says Irving.
Her favourite part about doing the show is getting to sing two songs — a duet with Rachel Lynde called Our Duty and When He Was My Beau, a soulful solo about lost love.
“After playing a person who has trouble expressing herself emotionally, I finally get to say all the stuff that’s bubbling inside me,” Irving says.
She also likes making the transformation to an older woman.
“The costume helps and so does the wig. But I have to spend a half hour before the show in makeup — making the lines on my face deeper so the audience can register them,” she says.
Although confident in the role now, stepping onto the stage last year was scary.
“In some ways it was a little bit daunting because everybody has their own view of Marilla here. And everyone takes great pride and ownership in the story.
“So, in a sense the Island has an image of Marilla that you have to live up to. But growing up here and knowing what the people are like — being very private but asking very personal questions — has probably informed my Marilla,” she says.
Irving’s understanding of language is definitely a bonus, says director Heidi Ford.
“On stage she speaks with a soft Island accent, exactly what I was looking for. She brings it into her song work and scenes,” says Ford.
As a cast member, Irving is inspirational.
“Martha is an incredibly intelligent woman so she brings such intelligent, detailed work into her role as Marilla,” says Ford.
“As a company member she is a wonderful spirit.”
At a glance
Martha Irving fast facts
Schools: Parkdale Elementary, Cornwall Junior High, Charlottetown Rural High School, Mount Allison University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).
Favourite food: Sushi.
Favourite book: Everyday Grace by Marianne Williamson. “It helped me a lot through a difficult time.”
Favourite movie: Whale Rider and The Lives of Others.
Things to take to a desert island: A musical instrument, pen and paper, a sense of humour, my husband, his sailboat.
Words to live by: “Treat everything in life as a lesson — the good and the bad, the easy and the challenging.”
Trivia: She likes to plays a driving game called Padiddle even when she's on her own. Irving is also a reiki practitioner. It's a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.
Recent projects: “I just finished a movie in Halifax. It’s working title is Halo and it stars P.E.I.’s own Martha MacIsaac. She’s the sweetest person.”
Future projects: Irving’s theatre company LunaSea Theatre, will be producing Twelfth Night in a cathedral in Halifax at Christmas.
Websites: www.jubileetheatre.com, www.anneandgilbert.com.
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=262216&sc=523
