Rajshekhar Basu Sarkar, Trent Whipple, Kate Fletcher
eSomethin staff
How do you bring history to life on such a sad and controversial event? The cast and crew for the fall play of The Diary of Anne Frank have some experience in the topic.
Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who experienced persecution under the Nazis during World War II. Her diary, recovered after her death in a concentration camp, gives a first-hand account of a family in hiding.
Why is this story so culturally important today? Discrimination is still prevalent.
Kory Meinhart, the director of the theatre department at PHS, said, “When working with the Holocaust and how discriminatory it is, it’s important for actors to understand the hardship Anne had to go through – how she was judged for what she believed in. This can be relative to Perrysburg with the presidential election coming up, how some people are being judged for what they believe in a president.”
This play is a lot different than the happy and light hearted Perrysburg productions most people are used to.
According to freshman Amelia Mazzarella, The Diary of Anne Frank is “a lot more serious.”
Performing a serious play also helps actors feel more connected to the character, putting themselves in their shoes and really feeling the highs and lows the character had to go through. This is a great way to make history come to life, both for the audience and the actors.
Sophomore Anabelle Bucko says that the serious nature of the play makes her feel more empathetic. “Normally in a musical, it’s very difficult to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.”
Bucko plays the role of Anne’s sister, Margot, a quiet and mature girl. Although she “hasn’t experienced it yet,” she wants to understand the emotion and depth of Margot. As a teenager, she connects to Margot on a deeper level.
According to both Mazzarella and Bucko, theatre can be an enjoyable extracurricular activity after school. Mazzarella said that ‘’it’s really nice. I like to be in theatre.”
Bucko agreed. “It’s a fun experience,” she said.
Outside of acting in a production, Bucko says that one could help backstage. This includes costumes and makeup, lights and sound, set design, prop design, and ushering during performances.
To get started, Mazzarella says that one should “attend the meetings,” which occur at the beginning of the school year. Also join the theatre Schoology group and look out for updates.
If you’re interested in watching The Diary of Anne Frank, showings will be from November 1st to November 3rd. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased online at perrysburgtheatre.ludus.com or at the box office.
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