In 1933 as Hitler’s rise to power began, Otto Frank fled with his family from Germany to Amsterdam. On July 5, 1942, Margot Frank, Anne Frank’s older sister, received a call-up notice to report to a Nazi labor camp. Though the Frank family was already planning to go into hiding, the notice sped up their relocation into the Secret Annex behind Otto Frank’s Amsterdam office building. In addition to Anne, Margot and their parents, the Annex also held the Van Daans and their son Peter who was just a few years older than Anne. Another Dutch Jew in need of sanctuary eventually joined the family, and all were aided by non-Jewish helpers who brought them supplies and food.
On March 29, 1944, the Dutch Government put out an announcement that all wartime diaries should be kept for later publishing. Anne heard this announcement via the family’s radio in the annex, and this prompted her to commit even more fully to her journaling. She hoped to revise and publish her work under the title “Het Achterhuis” or “The Secret Annex.”
However, her efforts were ended on Aug. 4, 1944, when the Annex was raided. In the Nazi officers’ quest to carry out valuables, they emptied the suitcase which contained the diary. Miep Gies, one of the helpers, later found the diary on the floor and returned it to Anne’s father (the sole survivor of the Annex group) after the war.
The first edition of the diary was published in 1947, and in 1955 Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett adapted the diary for the Broadway stage and won the Pulitzer Prize for doing so. The production itself won the Tony Award for Best Drama that same year and the 1959 film version was a multiple Oscar winner. Temple will present this same adaptation. The commonality among all representations of her story is the power of imagination and passion in a single person and the ability of the human spirit to triumph despite great adversity. Anne’s poignant story certainly contains great sadness, but to audiences, her story is a reminder that hope and happiness can exist in even the worst of times and that tolerance and peace should always be universal goals.
Temple’s production is led by guest director Paul Savas and framed by a team of outstanding designers, which includes set designer Joe Rial, lighting by Wesleyan professor Roger Drake and sound design by Thomas Edward Dalton. The design will present a fractured realism that will juxtapose the physical confinement of the Annex with the creative freedom that Anne explores in the piece.
The cast will include Jane Hallstrom (Mrs. Frank), real-life couple Thomas Edward Dalton (Mr. Van Daan) and Shannon K. Dalton (Mrs. Van Daan), and Bridget Lee Calfas (Miep Gies) who have all been seen previously on the Temple stage. They will be joined by Temple newcomers Scott Wathen (Mr. Frank), Daniel Thull (Peter Van Daan — a role which he played in the National Tour of the show), Hilary Russo (Margot Frank), Tim Wiest (Mr. Dussel), and Jack Carter (Mr. Kraler). Morgan Grace Jarrett, who was seen in last season’s professional premiere of “Falling in Like” as Abbie, will portray Anne Frank. Wathen and Carter are Moore County residents.
In addition to the regularly scheduled performances, Temple will also be offering three student matinees that are open to all public, private and homeschool students. The 9:30 a.m. shows will be on Sept. 23, 28, and 30. Call (919) 774-4512 for more information on student programs. Additional in-class follow-ups are available upon request.
Opening night is Friday, Sept. 22, and the audience is invited to meet the performers and designers after the show and enjoy a complimentary champagne toast.
Tickets are on sale now, $18 for adults, $15 for groups, and $10 for students.
Tickets may be obtained through the Temple Theatre Box Office at 120 Carthage St. in downtown Sanford, from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or by calling (919) 774-4155 during those same hours.
