Green River College Presents its Fall Production of The Diary of Anne Frank
By: Romeo Buckley
Staff Writer
On Nov. 22, Green River College is putting on its first performance of the fall play “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
In the play, The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne writes about her immediate family and the relationship that was developed with another family that was staying with them. These two families were hiding in the attic for two years during the Holocaust of World War II.
The Holocaust is real and millions of Jewish people died because of hatred and religious differences. The Drama Director Robin Bowles said that he selected this play because some people don’t believe that the Holocaust existed and that it is made up and never actually happened.
Bowles believes that the play is a timely play and that the country is rewriting history with everything that is going on today. He feels that the youth should come see the play because they will be able to relate to the characters in the play.
Today’s youth are experiencing some of the same issues that Anne wrote about 70 years ago. For example, she wrote about love, anguish, isolation, fear, and loneliness. A person can be surrounded by their family or a community that loves and cares for them but can still feel lonely and isolated from other people. These emotions are still experienced by many teenagers today even though they are free to interact with the world in ways Anne could not.
Bowles believes that the theme of the play is life. He stated that life will change depending on circumstances since in life there are many different experiences that a person will go through. The actors will create the visual of how Anne felt in her writings and the audience will be able to feel the emotional state of Anne’s thoughts.
Young people will be able to assimilate the feeling that Anne wrote about 70 years ago. Bowles believes that The Diary of Anne Frank is true and the play will shed light on a very important piece of history because throughout Anne’s writings there are many examples of hatred and religious persecution she experienced.
The audience will be able to compare her experiences 70 years ago with what is happening today. The people and the religion that was targeted in Anne’s writings might differ today, but the negative impact is still comparable. Today there is a lot of people and religions that are being looked upon negatively just for their culture and religion.
Bowles believes that his greatest asset to a successful production of the play are the actors. The actor’s relationship; their ability to get along and teamwork help capture and command the audience attention will make the show a success. They have a complete understanding of Anne’s writings and will be able to project the feelings and emotions outlined in her diary.
The purpose of the play is to reinforce that the Holocaust did exist. Jewish people really died because of hatred and religious persecution. Actors will be able to create a show that is reflective of her writings.
Young people will be able to assimilate the feeling that Anne wrote about seventy years ago. Times have changed but human experiences and natural desires remain constant. Bowles believes that The Diary of Anne Frank is true and the play will shed light on a very important piece of history that has shaped society.
