Set in the late 19th century, the marionette play recounts the adventures of Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan girl, who is mistakenly sent to two middle-aged siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who had originally intended to adopt a boy to help them on their farm in the town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, Canada. The marionette play recounts how Anne makes her way through life with the Cuthberts, in school, and within the town.