PPT Opens 2015-16 Season with
A Diary of Anne Frank.
By Megan Grabowski
Pittsburgh
Public Theater’s (PPT) 2015-16 inaugural show; The Diary of Anne Frank is a highly emotive performance. Running approximately three hours, the story
does not need synopsized. Most of us,
young and old, are familiar with the chronicles of Anne Frank. She and her family spent two years in hiding during
the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands during WWII. The play is based on her diary which was
discovered after her death in a Nazi concentration camp. In her diary she confessed her adolescent thoughts,
dreams, fears and desires as well as those pertaining to her persecution because
she was Jewish. Anne’s diary was first
published in Amsterdam in 1947 and soon became so popular that Frances Goodrich
and Albert Hackett recreated the accounts as an expressive tribute to her life.
As the audience we are voyeurs watching, with
a strange sense of intuition, the fate of eight people unfold before us. Producing Artistic Director Ted Pappas has
reimagined a time and place from history which allows anyone brave enough to
bear witness an opportunity to examine this moment in history.
The play
opens with Otto Frank, played by Randy
Kovitz, wobbling up
the attic stairs, returning to the annex above the
warehouse for a final goodbye. He
meanders throughout the historically designed set gently touching items and
studying the remains of his last home before being captured by the Nazi’s. The
set mimics the actual floorplan of the attic space where he dwelled with his wife
and two daughters, Anne and Margot. The
stage is arranged with antiquated furniture and bedding which add to the sense of
time. He is accompanied by Meip, a young
Dutch woman sensitive to the Jewish cause who assisted the Frank family in
securing a hiding place. Her compassion and kindness is exhibited as she
escorts Mr. Frank to his family’s last residence and gently encourages him to
read the discovered diary. Meip is Kelsey Carthew’s professional stage premiere.
Her supporting role as a connection to the outside world for the household is
essential and soul nourishing.
 |
| Remy Zaken as Anne Frank |
Meip and Ken
Bolden, as Mr. Kraler, each play the part of minor characters yet their
presence is felt on stage despite their physical appearances. These characters
are the cord which connects the diary entries of a 13 year old girl, relaying
everyday life, to the historical events that ultimately generated the
possibility of the play.
 |
| Randy Kovitz as Otto Frank, Remy Zaken as Anne Frank and Christine Laitta as Edith Frank |
Kovitz
an experienced actor of both stage and television is beautifully animated. His face twists with inconsolable grief as he
recites what is written in his daughter’s diary. As the lone survivor of his family, his pain
is evident and he shakily speaks his daughter’s notes. The story begins with Mr. Frank reading out
loud then the voice of a young girl begins to filter into the theater. The two voices meet and simultaneously
narrate for a moment then only one voice can be heard, that of a young girl. This ethereal moment reminds us of who the author
of the diary really is. So, the splay
continues in Anne’s voice, with her words from her ideas, her impressions, and
her experiences. As spectators, our
imaginations are instantly transported.
Zaken’s
performance as Anne is a poignant personification of a young girl. We witness
the pain and frustrations of Anne as she strives for independence from her
mother, Mrs. Frank, played by Pittsburgh native Christine Laitta and older
sister, Margot played by local performer Erika Cuenca. Despite the living conditions
in the attic or the frequent disapproval she receives from the other household
members, Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, their son Peter and Mr. Dussel, Anne never
gives up expressing her own personality.
She laid her head on her father’s shoulder when seeking solace and never
stops believing in a better world for all. Zaken’s rendition of a young girl,
sometimes playful, sometime adversarial and sometimes introspective is
profound. She effortlessly conveys the
image of Anne as a child in all her moods while continually maintaining the
innocence of a child.
Daniel
Krell cast as Mr. Dussel, an older gentleman who joins the household half way
through their hiding. He brings the
small bit of comic relief a drama of this nature allows. His frustration toward living in captivity
and sharing sleeping quarters with a child are expressed exceptionally
well. His rebukes at Anne’s childish
behavior are just tolerable because we know he tries to mask his fear behind his
intelligence. Mr. Dussel is not a
likable person, but Krell’s portrayal is powerful. Despite his near constant conflicts with
Anne, the humanity of his character cannot be denied.
As Anne grows and matures she starts to bond more
with her sister Margot, with a do-gooder, mother’s helper, quiet and studious personality;
the exact opposite of herself. Cuenca, cast
as Margot, does not have much to say, but her presence as a strong supporting
cast member is made known during the scenes with Anne when she helps her dress
and experiment with hairstyles for a ‘date’ with Peter. David Edward Jackson, cast as Peter, the
awkward and introverted teen who initially spends his time alone with his cat,
eventually becomes an essential confidant to Anne. His depiction of a young man struggling to
make sense of his world is refined and his blossoming interest in Anne as a
young woman is an honest transition. Zaken and Jackson make a dynamic couple,
telling the world, despite all the hate and fear, there can be love and
beauty. Their relationship is the polar
opposite of Peter’s parents’.
 |
| Remy Zaken as Anne Frank and David Edward Jackson as Peter Van Daan |
Mr. Van
Daan played by stage and film actor David Wohl and Mrs. Van Daan, played by
veteran Pittsburgh performer Helena Ruoti spend the early
part of the show criticizing Anne for her liveliness and sass. Wohl
depicts a nervous and emotionally detached man who as the performance
progresses spends more time concerned with cigarettes and money than his own
family. Mrs. Van Daan disgusts the
household with her blatant flirtatious acts toward Mr. Frank. Ruoti is a brilliant dramatic actor. Her role as a temperamental and pretentious
woman appears effortless. When Mr. Van
Daan plays tug of war with his wife’s beloved fur with intentions to sell it,
she throws a terrific tantrum, flopping across her bed and wailing. She grips her coat as her husband rips it
from her hands. He hands the coat to Meip
with instructions to sell it, and then coolly requests she buy him
cigarettes. This scene, at first, is humorous. It seems absurd for Mrs. Van Daan to keep the
fur, and her reaction to losing it is melodramatic but no one in the audience
laughed. As bystanders, we begin to
acknowledge life under the tense circumstances.
Laitta as
Mrs. Frank is the epitome of devoted wife and mother. Her role as peacekeeper and protector of all
is outstanding. Her expressions of
disheartenment by Anne’s obvious favoritism toward her father are candid and
her struggle to maintain her role as a parent even as the opportunities to do
so diminish are conveyed with passion.
We know
the story. The ending is apparent, (you
can’t change history). It is the talent
of the cast that truly make this performance worthwhile.
The
Diary of Anne Frank plays through October 25, 2015. For tickets please visit :
Reviewed by Megan GrabowskiPositively Pittsburgh Good News Reviewer, Professional writer, Social-Media Junkie, Community Fundraiser and Pittsburgh Enthusiast.
