McNicholas Theatre to present ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’

On November 7-10, the McNicholas Theatre Department will present The Diary of Anne Frank, by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.

The Diary of Anne Frank is an adaptation of the diary Anne Frank kept while she and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II in the annex of her father’s company building. It portrays daily life in the annex, the emotional struggles that come with sharing close quarters with the same people every day, and the effects of being ripped from a normal life.

Senior Brianna Taylor plays the lead role of Anne Frank. “It’s a great honor, and at the same time it’s incredibly terrifying, just because she was a real person and to have to portray someone who was so uniquely themself…it’s an honor, but scary,” Taylor said.

Some of the actors in theatre had expressed an interest in performing a more serious show. Director Teresa De Zarn believes that those involved in the show are “showing a great deal of respect for the subject matter.”

“Anne Frank just kept coming back to me. I had read it when I started looking, and I just remembered what a good play it was, and I realized it had some wonderful roles…it’s such a good show,” De Zarn said.

Performances begin at 7 p.m. on Nov. 7, followed by shows on Nov. 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee show at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10. All shows are in the Jeanne Spurlock Theatre. Tickets are $12 and will be sold at the door, at lunches, and at www.mcnhs.org. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance since seating is limited and shows typically sell out. “We can never forget. I hope that everybody is reminded that we should never forget these people that were lost in concentration camps, we should not forget that we need to all stand up and shout loudly against evil when it’s confronting us,” De Zarn said.