Production Designer Rebecca Goldstein talks to Mornings host Ed Swift about the latest production at The Repertory Theatre, 'The Diary of Anne Frank'
Focus on Youth at Repertory
March to May 2010
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THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.
On Stage 6th to 14th March 2010 Repertory Theatre, Kilmore Street, Christchurch.
Repertory is proud to be presenting this iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning play lovingly adapted from the famous diary, to be directed by Robert Gilbert and designed by Rebecca Jane Novick Goldstein.
With astonishing wit and determination the young Anne Frank records and confronts her rapidly changing life in hiding with her family in Nazi occupied Holland during the Second World War. Her smiling spirit is always on the move and continues to touch the conscience of the world.
Rehearsal Notes:
Rachel Walsh who plays Miep Gies in The Diary of Anne Frank tells us that it seemed as though the spirit of Miep miraculously touched the performers at the first rehearsal of the play. Miep Gies had just died at the age of 100.
Miep was the woman who so courageously helped the Franks to stay in hiding. She gathered up Anne’s scattered diary pages after the Frank family was arrested and sent to concentration camps. She said she never read them. She respected the teenager’s privacy. Also, if she had read them, she may have had to burn them because they possibly would have incriminated those who helped the Franks.
Although Miep never wanted to be known as a hero she was one. She gave the diary to Otto Frank after the war and of course, the rest is history.
Without Miep Gies we would not have known Anne’s story.
Rosanna Hewson who plays Anne is very excited. She says that Anne is her heroine. “I think of the miracle of Anne’s story coming to light for us to share”.
And then there’s the Anne Frank Travelling Exhibition which will be at TePapa at the same time as Repertory’s play is running. The exhibition will come to Christchurch in 2011.
It introduces visitors to the events leading up to World War 2 and the government directed killing of Jews, Gypsies, the disabled, Slavs and others. The exhibit depicts individuals who chose to join the Nazi party and become perpetrators, those who were bystanders as well as those who were willing to resist the Nazi tyranny.
The main focus though, is anti-Semitism and of course the Frank family and the other occupants of the Secret Annexe.
The Diary of Anne Frank at Repertory is a story of hope. “I keep my ideals because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart”, said Anne.
Her smiling spirit is always on the move and continues to touch the conscience of the world.
Cast:
Director, Robert Gilbert has selected a strong ensemble of dedicated actors, they are...
