Phantom projects theatre group and La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts came together on Feb. 20, to resurrect one of the best-known diaries and its tragic story for one night only.
Directed by Alexis Jacknow, and based upon “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, the newly adapted version by Wendy Kesselman offers fans and audience alike a rare glimpse into the world of Anne Frank on stage; How she was, how she thought, and how it all tragically ended.
While escaping from Hitler and his Nazi soldiers, the Frank family packed up one day with as many clothes as they could put on their backs and moved into Otto Frank’s work attic in hopes of hiding from the Nazi’s and avoiding the Holocaust.
In the hidden attic another family, the Van Daan’s, soon joins them along Mr. Dussel, a local dentist. Together in the concealed storage attic, they are all forced to live and function as one big family with limited means until one horrible day when they are betrayed and are forced into concentration camps leaving only one survivor, Otto Frank, Anne’s father, to share the experience and to offer Anne’s gift to the world, her person diary.
In her diary, Anne talks about her life in the attic, her roommate Mr. Dussel, and the struggles she had with her mother. She mentions her nightmares of being taken by the Nazi’s, and the rest of the occupants in the attic. She shares her thoughts, ideas and opinions, including her infatuation with Peter Van Daan.
Joey Maya Safchik, known for Madeline and the Gypsies, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, stars as a sweet, young, extremely gifted, Anne Frank. Along side Thomas Mendola, known for various roles in Day Time Dramas, as well as appearing on Saturday Night Live, portraying Otto Frank.
The rest of the cast includes Karen Leabo, actress, and writer of almost 70 books, as Edith Frank.
Valerie Rose Lohman, who also played Anne Frank last August at the NoHo Center for the Arts, as Margot Frank.
Bill Carson, known for And then there were none, and Doubt as Mr. Van Daan.
Lizanne Keigley, known for Pillow Talk, and Pygmalion as Mrs. Van Daan.
Max Herzfeld, know from the submission, as Peter Van Daan.
Rio Hondo’s very own John Francis, known for Noises off and Rumors, as Mr. Dussel.
Lara Thomas Ducey, known for Cinderella and To Kill a Mockingbird as Miep, and Patrick Birman, known for several plays and short films, as Mr. Kraler.
The Diary of Anne Frank brought many adults and children together to remember a real life tragedy that happened not to long ago.
The audience had their shares of laughs, suspense and silence that resulted in a standing ovation as the cast of the play joined them one last time to bow to their waiting audience leaving many with a knot on their throats and honoring not only those lost in the holocaust, but the little girl who dared to write during the worst time of her short life.
Tickets sold for $20 adults and $10 for students and children. The first two showings were at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for mostly students of middle school or high schools, and the 7 p.m. showing was for everyone to enjoy.
For more information please visit www.phantomprojects.com or http://lamiradatheatre.com.
