Anna Marie Brendel portraying Anne Frank in Lee’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank.
Lee University Theatre will conclude the 2015-16 season with its production of The Diary of Anne Frank on Friday, April 8, at 8 p.m. Additional showings will be held on Tuesday, April 12, and Thursday, April 14, through Saturday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. All shows will be in the Dixon Center.
Review for The Diary of Anne Frank:
An impassioned drama about the lives of eight people hiding from the Nazis in a concealed storage attic, The Diary of Anne Frank captures the claustrophobic realities of their daily existence including their fear, hope, laughter, and grief. Each day of these two dark years, Anne’s voice shines through, “When I write I shake off all my cares, but I want to achieve more than that. I want to be useful and bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!” In this transcendently powerful new adaptation by Wendy Kesselman, Anne Frank emerges from history changing life and the increasing horror of her time with astonishing honesty, wit, and determination.
Audience members will see a contemporary production of The Diary of Anne Frank. The play is historically grounded but makes use of projections to aid the storytelling aspects and includes the addition of a live fiddle player to transition between scenes.
“This is a well-known story and a wonderful adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary,” said Dr. Christine Williams, play director and associate professor of theatre. “We are excited to bring this play to our community. It also seems to be a timely production in light of what is occurring in the world today.”
Anna Marie Brendel will play the role of Anne Frank, while the rest of the Frank family will be portrayed by Aubrey Day as Otto, Lauren Flatt as Margot, and Claire Graves as Edith. Other cast members include Elizabeth Davenport, Zackery Dean, Joshua Deville, Brian Ericson, Zachery Jones, Hayden Nelson and Ant Sandefer.
“I really believe this piece is timeless,” said Ms. Brendel. “It is important for the audiences of today to experience this and remember, especially within the context of our 21st century social and political issues. The freshness of Anne’s personality mixed with the impressive wisdom she had makes for a wonderful representation of the hopefulness that the human soul is capable of despite the harsh realities life tends to bring.”
Tickets are available at the box office located in the Communication Arts Building Monday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., and one hour prior to each show. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children, seniors, and students. You can reach the box office by calling 614-8360 or emailing theatre@leeuniversity.edu.
For more information, visit www.leeuniversity/edu/theatre. Fans may also follow Lee University Theatre on Facebook.