TheatreAddict.com - Bakersfield Drama Blog

My daughter, Emma, and I had the pleasure of seeing "The Diary of Anne
Frank" at East Bakersfield High School last night.

I wasn't sure what to expect - I had never seen the play and only had
vague recollections of the movie. (Mostly I remember Shelley Winters,
actually.) I do remember the book as my older daughter, Katherine, read
it this year as a part of her home school curriculum.

Everyone did their job.... cast, crew, Director Justin Brooks. We left
the theatre and stepped back into the cold night with Emma muttering
"Why did God let Anne Frank die? How did this happen? Why did this
happen... its just not right, it doesn't matter that she is Jewish..."

I imagine the cast was plenty nervous - opening night! I loved the
lighting in Anne's monologues. For some, Anne (Sonia Valdovinos) stood
center stage and was backlit. Her face was unseen, but her voice boomed
- it seemed from her ever-growing heart - and her silhouette was an
ethereal gold.

At other times, she was sitting on her bed, reading her diary in the
darkness with only the back screen lit.

Valdovinos was believable as the Anne I have known and loved for years.
Sweet, flirty, naughty, argumentative, free thinking. Excellent.

Michael Miranda - playing the cranky Mr. Dussel - got a lot of laughs
for his sarcasm. I thought Juliana Paz did a fine job as Mrs. Van Daan.
There were several scenes where she showed her emotion really well.

Peter Van Daan is a challenging role - subtle, interesting, connecting -
and Anthony Padilla rose to the challenge. I remembered the big, lusty
climactic kiss from the movie and wished we had gotten either more
excitement from Anne's first kiss or the climactic embrace when the
Nazi's rated the Annex, but that is hardly a critique, more a... "hmmmm"
than anything else. (Also reminds me as a playgoer to shut off the movie
and look at a play from the place of Beginner's Mind!)

I enjoyed the film that was a part of the production - the facts on it
were mind expanding. My little Emma, sweet thing, was appalled,
especially at the thought of the Nazi's exterminating Homosexuals. She
did not understand that at all. It is always a bit strange as a mother
to hear the word "homophobic" coming out of my third-graders mouth, but
with the pure sadness and sweetness in those eyes... she "gets" it and
"The Diary of Anne Frank" helped her get there.

When we said her prayers last night, she cried.

This is what theatre is supposed to do. Make us think. Make us feel.
Make us care.

With Passionate Gratitude,

Julie
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Thanks to Julie Jordan-Scott for contributing this lovely piece of writing. You can catch up with Julie on her blog, Julie Unplugged, or on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/juliejordanscott

posted by TheatreAddict.com  # 3:44 PM