Kirk Players to present updated 'Diary of Anne Frank'
Kirk Players will present the final show of its 56th season, "The Diary of Anne Frank," June 10-12 at Mundelein High School.
Drawn from the diary kept by adolescent Anne Frank, the play recalls the lives and experiences of Anne, her family, and their friends during the two years they spent hiding in a secret annex above Otto Frank's office building in Amsterdam to escape detection and capture by the Nazis.
The original version of the play, written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, opened in 1957 and won the Tony Award, Pulitzer Prize, and Critics Circle Award for that year. Following the discovery of additional pages of Frank's diary, Wendy Kesselman updated and expanded the play. This new version premiered in 1997.
Director Jon Leslie Lynn reflected on the timing of KP's presentation of this play, noting that the show had been delayed for two years due to the pandemic, but the new production date is significant: "Anne's birthday is June 12. What's more, this birthday marks the 80th anniversary of Anne receiving the diary from her father for her 13th birthday."
The revised version of the play presents a broader emotional spectrum of the events in the annex, as well as Anne's thoughts and reflections on dealing with her burgeoning adolescence.
"I never knew she had such a loud personality," said Lake Zurich High School sophomore Hannah Zoibi, who plays Anne. "It's often with historical figures like Anne that we forget the normality of them. She brings so much energy and light to the space she was in and warmed up her devastating situation."
Assistant director Brian Motyka observed that this revised version of the play "let us see a more realistic version of the teen and her thoughts. It gives us a better insight into who she was."
Jon Matousek, who plays Anne's father Otto Frank, added, "While the play clearly depicts the pains and struggles of what going into hiding really means, there are some terrifically humorous and heartwarming segments."
Accurately portraying the eight characters hiding in the annex, forced to live in such claustrophobic conditions and maintain silence throughout each day, has been challenging for all the actors - young newcomers, seasoned veterans, Kirk Players, and guest performers alike.
Even so, according to assistant stage manager Mandy Stebbins, "The cast has come together right from the beginning. Everyone works well together. The young actors are absolutely amazing. They are navigating these young characters that are going through such traumatic events with surprising maturity and sincerity."
In addition to Hannah Zoibi and Jon Matousek, other cast members are Aviva Cohen, Julie Brouton, Marilee C.C. Rusiniak, Elizabeth Surowiecki, Chris Brouton, Lance Evans, Patrick Blake, Mike Lieberman, Vidal Gonzalez, Randy Rice and Ron Otrembiak.
The management staff consists of director Jon Leslie Lynn, assistant director Brian Motyka, stage manager Nat Brautigam, and assistant stage manager Mandy Stebbins.
Members of the technical staff include technical director Mike Lieberman, set designer Brenda Sparks, lighting designer Martin Hill, lighting assistant Chuck Fitz-Hugh, lighting operator Makenna Wald, costume mistress Anna Lieberman, costume assistant Susie Hill, property mistress Fran Hansen, property assistant Peter Grassl, sound designer Monica Stark, and sound crew Mindi Billock.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 10 and 11, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 12. All performances will take place at Mundelein High School, 1350 W. Hawley St., Mundelein.
To purchase tickets, visit the Kirk Players website at www.kirkplayers.org or call (847) 521-6192. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
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