When Romance Came to Anne - Production & Contact Info (original) (raw)

When the play opens, Anne is a poor little forlorn sort of girl who owns no clothes to speak of and whose hair is drawn back so tightly that it pulls her features quite out of shape. In the village of Riverton, where she lives with her ...See moreWhen the play opens, Anne is a poor little forlorn sort of girl who owns no clothes to speak of and whose hair is drawn back so tightly that it pulls her features quite out of shape. In the village of Riverton, where she lives with her father, they call her homely and dowdy, and in all the town, romance loving Anne is the only girl without a beau. When Anne watches the young couples going by, arm in arm, she wishes that she, too, could join them on the arm of some young cavalier. Mark Lane, bachelor, lives all alone and to Anne he is the ideal man. But he refuses to notice her along with all the rest of the girls in the village. However, a day comes when the man realizes that he should be married. He visits Anne's father and has dinner at the house. Anne is unusually attentive, and Mark comes to believe that she would make him a good wife and housekeeper. All brimful of joy Anne consents, when he asks her, and the marriage follows shortly after. He takes his bride home and the girl soon finds that Mark doesn't love her. He discourages all show of affection. Anne catches sight of her face in a big dishpan she has polished and again realizes her ugliness and sobs over the hopelessness of it. As time goes on, Mark is kind and fair with her. One day an invitation comes for Mark and his wife to attend a barn dance. Anne runs out into the fields with it and begs her husband to go. Mark cares little about it, but consents after his wife urges. Returning to the house, Anne meets a peddler, and in her pocket Anne has the first money she ever earned. She bargains with the peddler and buys goods, laces. Mark won't be ashamed of her at the dance. Every night after he has gone upstairs Anne takes out her precious dress and sews upon it. Then the night of the party comes around. Anne doesn't know it, but her dress is a botch, poorly put together and ill-fitting. At the dance Mark finds farmers to talk to and doesn't notice his wife. Other girls laugh at her. Heartbroken, the little wallflower creeps out of the place and rushes home alone. Mark follows her and upbraids her for putting him in an embarrassing position. Days pass. One afternoon Anne washes her hair and goes into the fields to dry it. There she meets an artist who is painting. He asks her to pose for him. Anne does, only to be discovered by her husband, who sends her to the house angrily. But the sight stirs Mark, awakens something in his heart heretofore unknown. Next day Anne comes out on her porch and to amuse herself twines roses in her hair. The artist, passing, stops at the gate and their conversation of the day before is resumed. Mark, unable to work, for a demon of unrest and jealousy has taken possession of him. goes to the house to find the artist again with his wife. Furious, he orders the man away. Then Mark turns to Anne and she stares at him with demure eyes full of wonder at his rage. She creeps a bit closer to him and smiles at his anger. Mark raises his arm half threateningly; she only comes closer and when Mark's arm descends it is to enfold his flower bedecked wife close to his heart. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less