Hearing so much vitriol spewing from today’s political arenas it is perhaps fitting for the Shawnee Playhouse to produce “The Diary of Anne Frank” to remind us how powerful a weapon hate, bigotry and ignorance can be.
If you are not familiar with the story – familiarize yourself with it. Find a copy of the book (titled “The Diary of a Young Girl”) and read it or watch the gripping 1959 movie for which Shelley Winters won an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress.
Ms. Winters later donated her award to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam as a reminder of how powerful the story was (and still is) today.
The story is set in Amsterdam during World War II as two Jewish families – the Franks and the Van Daans – are forced to hide from Nazi oppression in an attic “annex” of a workshop previously owned by Mr. Frank. During their exile they are helped by a brave young woman named Miep and the current manage of the workshop who bring them food, supplies, and other amenities to make their hiding bearable.
For two years the families – joined by a Jewish dentist unable to escape the Netherlands – stay hidden in the attic of this workshop. The entrance was hidden by a bookshelf and during the work hours of eight in the morning until six in the evening the families had to remain perfectly silent, not even able to go to the bathroom for fear that the flushing toilet could be heard below.
What is so powerful about “The Diary of Anne Frank” is the hope the main character tries to hold onto during the course of the story. Despite losing her freedom and needing to hide to save her life merely because of her religious beliefs Anne remains pleasant and child-like. It is a testament to the strength in all of us to endure the worst situations. Her father points out to her half-way through the play “when we got here you told us it was going to be an adventure.” That this small girl could look at being confined to a dark, crowded attic for two years and still find hope resonates the need for all of us to find hope in dark and dismal times.
Trapped in the attic for two years – suffering through sweltering heat and bitter cold – the families managed to do what they could to survive with the prevalent hope that Allied forces would soon be invading Europe to set it free of Nazi oppression and the families would again be allowed back into civilization … where they always belonged.
The story is a gripping and engaging as well as harrowing commentary on hate and prejudice. In the time of Anne Frank there was no justice. She and her family had to hide out of fear for their very lives. For anyone to feels there is no reason to worry about people who would persecute someone else over religion, race, gender, sexual identity or the myriad of other reasons people unjustly prosecute, they should hear the words of Anne Frank and remember “how wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
How true is that now as much as it was back in the days when Anne was required to hide in order to save her life based on nothing more than religion.
The production at Shawnee Playhouse is engaging although not as “enjoyable” as a depressing story can be. There is no happy ending, only the haunting words of Anne Frank “despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”
The production is propelled by strong performances from the cast. The strained relationship between Anne (Aubrey Haskell) and her mother Edith (Amy Cramer) is especially gripping as well as the tension and conflict which constantly builds among the other “residents” of the space these refugees shared for two years. The awkward Anne is constantly at odds with every other member of the household including her sister Margot (stunningly portrayed by Emmelene Usera) until she eventually develops a romance with the Van Daan’s son Peter (Kristian Shea).
The younger actors cope with the intimacy of being “trapped” in a space and having to deal with it and they do a fine job. Perhaps their connection to the constant access afforded them by today’s technology is transferred to this production where they have no access to email, chat and text. I’m not trying to diminish anyone’s performance but there is a definite sense of “we are cut off from the rest of the world” delivered by the younger cast members than from the more seasoned actors.
What might be surprising is that the most memorable characterization comes not from one of the family members but from their helper Miep (Kimberly Jean Smith). When Anne embraces her and says “you can almost smell the air on you” in reference to the outside world Miep the audience is also able to feel this buoyancy whenever Miep enters the room.
The cast is completed by Michael Gilbert as Otto Frank, John Bradley as Mr. Kraler, Lois Fiala as Mrs. Van Daan, Marty Courtney as Mr. Van Daan, and George Schwenzer as Mr. Dussel. Christopher Culley and Michael Lambert portray Nazi soldiers who play a pivotal role in the story.
The set design by Michael Gilbert effectively utilizes the space at Shawnee – giving a distinct feeling of the multi-level annex the family hid in even though it only uses one main playing area (with an area upstage serving as the true “attic” to the building). The lighting was a bit problematic with this production with some scenes poorly lit and others lit a bit too garish for such a subdued theme. My biggest complaint was the exhausting scene changes which might have been rehearsed a bit more smoothly so they did not seem to drag on.
In this age where it is easy to be swept away by epic blockbuster movies and concerts it is important to attend shows like “The Diary of Anne Frank” to remind us of a time when the world was a very dark and evil place to so many millions of people. The grim reality of what happened is especially bitter when we realize how hate, racism and prejudice are still very much a part of our world today.
The Shawnee Playhouse's production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” runs through April 16. For tickets call 570-421-5093 or visit www.theshawneeplayhouse.com.