Diary Of Anne Frank Play Analysis

Opinion Paper #2
“The Diary of Anne Frank”

I attended the performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” the new adaption by Wendy Kesselman, at the Stage Door Inc Theater in Pasadena at their Friday evening showing. This production is one that I could relate to because I read the novel in high school and while watching this live I remembered details from the novel that was incorporated into this production. The theater was an intimate proscenium stage. There were around 7 straight rows of seating that all faced the stage. The seats were raked so there was no problem seeing. The stage was small but the props and setting was beautifully made.

This climatic play played on the audience’s heartstrings. The plot revolves around the Frank family and

their friends who are bounded to an attic room for their own safety. There they must be quiet like mice not to make noise during the day, in fear of their discovery, however at night they could roam around and try to live as normally as they could. Young Anne Frank, the protagonist, guides us through the play in her point of view of the situation through her diary entries. She tells of the tragedy and constant terror of having the Nazis, the antagonist, taking her and her family away to be killed, for they were Jews and during this time of the Holocaust, no Jews were safe.

The cast had several major characters such as Otto Frank, Anne’s father, and Mr.

Van Daan, Otto’s former partner that he left stay with them in the attic. There was also quintessential minor characters like Miep Gies, who helped hide the Franks and brought them rations and things from the outside, and Albert Dussel, a dentist who later also hid with the Franks and Van Daans. Conflicts such as Mr. Van Daan’s temper and Anne’s rebellious nature kept the group on edge. Many obstacles and complications throughout the time of their hiding made life difficult for the characters. There never was enough food and everyone was always hungry, but when Mr. Van Daan was caught stealing bread he breached the trust of the group. The climax of play was when an officer of the Nazis army came into the room and ushered everyone out. After 2 long years of hiding, there was no happy ending. Unfortunately everyone died or was killed, excluding Otto Frank, who in the end ultimately found Anne’s diary and was able to tell the tale.

One of my favorite scenes of this production was at the end when all the characters were on the dark stage with a candle. As Otto Frank tells how each character died, they blew out the candle symbolizing their passing away. I felt a wave of emotion during this moment because throughout the play, I, as an audience member, connected with each character. Rather then a curtain call at the end of the production, the audience was allowed a moment of silence to reflect on the

Holocaust, and then invited to the lobby to greet the performers.