Diary of Anne Frank Spring Play Review: Finding Light in The Dark
- Gabriella Valentin
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
The Diary of Anne Frank follows the real-life story of 13 year old Anne Frank and 7 others hiding from Nazis in WWII in an annex in her father’s office building. The Frank family, the Van Daan family, and a dentist named Mr. Dussel must remain deadly silent in the daytime so that no one below suspects their presence. They have limited resources and space but this is their only option. This play captured the grief, fear, desperation, and frustration they experienced with hiding. However, we also get to see how they spread joy, love, and carry on hope.
It was clear to me that everyone who worked on this play sincerely cared about it. The set design of the play was amazing and had great details. The room looked lived in and authentic to the time that this was taking place. I really enjoyed the yellow lighting because it felt more aged and personal compared to bright white lighting.
The props were well thought out and gave more depth to the characters through their actions with the props. For example, when they were playing cards this said to me that they appreciated each other‘s company and wanted to enjoy what little they had. All the actors made their characters personal and connected with the crowd. Their energy carried through the theater and I could feel it in the audience. I could understand their emotions and reasoning behind their actions.
The comedic scenes and lines were delivered excellently and the audience picked up on these lighter moments. You could also feel the tension and silence in the crowd during more emotional scenes. The cast, crew, and Director Kristen Williams deserve their flowers for putting together a beautiful, powerful, and moving play.
One of my favorite aspects of the play was the sound effects. The sound of the train and the bombs and chaos or war outside put me into the scene with them. These loud noises made me feel anxiety and impending doom for the characters. It was evidence of the horrors that were happening on the outside and how they are in the middle of it all with no options. It was a reminder of what was happening to their loved ones and community and of what their future could be like if caught. Even though they were hidden in the room, there was still a chance that they could be found and taken away.
What really stood out about this play is that it is a real story. These are not characters, this is not just a made-up plot. These were real people who experienced some of the most horrendous and inhumane treatment in history. This is not just a plot and storyline, this was their lives. It's hard to imagine living with 7 people in a tiny attic, hiding to stay alive while the rest of the world is in shambles and misery.
Although this play is about war and fear, there was so much love and hope. I saw this in the scene where Anne gave gifts to everyone for Hanukkah. Despite being in hiding with limited resources, she still found a way to give back to the people she loves. This is powerful to me because she chose to spread love and kindness regardless of their situation. She is keeping her spirits high and her heart intact because she believes in compassion. That is important to me to keep the love in your heart flaming no matter what is contradicting it.
My favorite scene from this play was when they were all eating the strawberries. In this scene, they are all indulging in strawberries that were brought to them. They were in pure bliss because they had not eaten strawberries since being in hiding. It added to the empathy and sympathy I had for them considering they were grateful for simple strawberries. It showed me how scarce their resources were and how something common to me was a delicacy to them.
When asked their favorite scene, student Isis Austin, shared that her favorite scene was when Mr. Van Daan ran out to sell Mrs. Van Daan's coat for money. Mrs. Van Daan cared deeply for her coat and was distraught by the fact that her husband wanted to sell it. She shared that she understood and empathized with the feelings of Mrs. Van Daan about her coat at this moment. “It was her last memory of her father,” Austin said.
I came into this play knowing that this was a sad story, but nothing could have prepared me for how personal it felt. In the end, I was hoping the war would end and they could live freely, even though I knew the story. I left the play with a feeling of heaviness blanketing over me. It felt almost wrong to leave the play and just continue on with my day.
Watching the play, it was impossible to ignore the similarities people and families are experiencing right now in America. Miep and Mr. Kraler hiding them reminded me of how schools are protecting their students and spreading awareness of I.C.E. The deportations, camps, hiding and hostility mirrored the treatment of immigrants in our country today. Families are being separated and loved ones are sent away with no information of where. Children are coming home to their parents missing. Officers are abusing their power and blindly following orders.
There is a lack of empathy and morality. We see what is going on but the nation does not truly know what is going on. We don't know what is happening or the conditions of these detention facilities that immigrants are being held in. It is impairable to go on with everyday life knowing the brutality people are facing.
All things considered, this is an extremely important and powerful play to watch. The play goes through war, grief, terror, as well as love and hope. It is important to revisit history and to constantly be reminded of the mistakes of the past. It's an eye-opening experience to see this play live because I got a clear visual of the hardships and emotions in their experience. It gave me clear examples of what specifically they were dealing with and had me comparing it to my life to see the extreme contrast and terror.
Student Basant Davis said, “It was a lot different from the book because I feel more connected. It's not just words like you can actually see what’s going on and feel more emotionally to the characters.” This play gave me a deeper understanding of how truly horrible their situation and the treatment of Jewish people were in WWII. I will constantly be reminded to give compassion and to help the people in my community because no one should ever have to suffer like this again.
If you are interested in seeing the play the remaining shows are Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students and cash only.
