 |
| This is where the eight people spent more than two years in hiding. |
“The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and
Albert Hackett is the true and ultimately tragic story of how eight Jews hid
from the Nazis during World War II only to be betrayed and captured.
Center REPertory Company is presenting the adaptation
by Wendy Kesselman.
Born in Germany, Anne Frank moved to Amsterdam,
Holland, with her family to escape the Nazis when she was 4, but the Germans
took over Holland in 1940.
When Anne’s older sister, Margot, was ordered to a
Nazi work camp in July 1942, the family hid in the upstairs annex of the
factory where Anne’s father worked.
They and four other people remained there until
August 1944 when they were betrayed, arrested by the Gestapo and later sent to
prison camps, where everyone except Anne’s father died.
In this production, Anne (Monique Hafen Adams) is 13
when she, Margot (Maya Michal Sherer) and their parents, Otto (Victor Talmadge)
and Edith (Marcia Pizzo), flee to the annex.
They are joined by Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan (Michael
Butler and Domenique Lozano) and their 18-year-old son, Peter (Kevin Singer).
Later joining them is a dentist, Mr. Dussel (Michael Patrick Gaffney).
In her optimistic way, Anne is exuberant at first
and quite the pest, but they all soon get a dose of reality when Mr. Kraler
(Paul Plain), a trusted friend who worked in the factory, gave them the rules.
They had to remain absolutely silent between 8 a.m.
and 6 p.m. when workers were downstairs. That meant removing their shoes, not
talking and not using the only bathroom.
Besides Mr. Kraler, their only other connection to
the outside world was Miep Gies (Alison Quin), who brought them what little she
could.
Thus eight people lived in cramped quarters (set by
Nina Ball, lighting by Kurt Landisman) with meager food and almost constant fear
of being discovered.
During their Hanukkah celebration, for example, Anne
gave everyone a gift, but their
fear was aroused when they heard a noise
downstairs. Much to their relief, it came from a thief who fled.
Although they tried to make the best of their situation,
frustration and tempers inevitably erupted.
 |
| Anne (Monique Hafen Adams) writes in her diary. |
Through it all, Anne wrote in her diary, revealing a
hopeful, maturing girl with dreams and ambitions as her friendship with Peter
blossomed.
Everyone’s hopes soared with the Allied invasion of
Europe in June 1944. They envisioned being free soon.
Thus it was a terrible irony that they were rousted
two months later and died before the camps were liberated in April 1945.
Besides the set and lighting, the production is
complemented by Jessie Amoroso’s
costumes and Teddy Hulsker’s sound and
projections.
Timothy Near directs this excellent ensemble cast
with sensitivity and an eye toward helping the audience understand how these
eight people lived.
During intermission, for example, they remain on
stage, going about their ways of passing the time.
Nevertheless, it's difficult to imagine how one might
endure such hardships, and it’s impossible to fathom the depraved
inhumanity of the Nazis and their attempt to annihilate all Jews and other
people they deemed undesirable.
Hence when the cast takes its curtain call, the
applause is warm but subdued.
Afterward, the house manager remarked that it was
unusual to see people so quiet as they left.
That’s a tribute to the power of the play and this thought-provoking
production.
Running about two hours with intermission, “The
Diary of Anne Frank” will continue through April 28 in the Lesher Center for
the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek.
Photos
by www.mellophoto.com
