Review: 'The Diary of Anne Frank' at West Springfield High School

by Roshni Gorur of Chantilly High School

Preserving humanity in the face of inhumanity is no easy task - especially not for a 13-year-old Jewish girl forced into hiding by Nazi occupiers. With too much family and too little privacy, her only escape is her diary and her father's fountain pen. West Springfield High School's production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” read between the lines, giving a new look into human tragedy—with a touch of hope.

Since the first posthumous publication, the diary has sold more than 25 million copies. This unique, personal account of wishes, tension, and survival has united people worldwide. While hidden from the German Nazis, with her Jewish family in a secret annex in Amsterdam, Anne Frank documented her hopes, frustrations, and day to day experiences in confinement. The play, originally penned by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s, was recently renewed by Wendy Kesselman, adding in Anne's vexatious behavior, her sexual discovery and her coming of age.

The Frank family beautifully drew a cohesive portrait. Stealing, fighting, and stepping on each other’s toes, then forgiving, singing, and moving on to the next day, month, and year. The family dynamics were far from contrived, embodying the raw tension and poignancy of sharing everything. Long after they are gone, the cast masterfully brought them back to life, displaying a wide range of emotive capability, keeping Anne's words alive.

Anchoring the cast as the loquacious and rambunctious thirteen-year-old that undergoes a metamorphosis to a softer, more sophisticated fifteen-year-old was Catherine Ariale as Anne Frank. Lighting up the stage with each entrance, her mirthful gestures and skewed self-awareness created strong relationships with each character. Ariale embraced the growing awkwardness of her adolescence, kissing Peter Van Daan (William Shipley) with crimson lips, leaving a mark for the rest of the family to laugh at, and waltzing with her father to their own humming.

In a household sure to be racked with boredom, Mrs. Van Daan (Rachel Steiner) provided much needed comic relief. Steiner expertly portrayed an aging woman trying to stay youthful and jovial. From flirting with Mr. Frank, to fighting for her prized fur coat, Steiner captured Mrs. Van Daan's transition from a woman with refined taste to one with no choice. Also commendable was Drew Holcombe's acting of the family man, Mr. Frank. Dealing aptly with sassy and spunky Anne, Holcombe excellently restrained his emotions in order to hold the family together. Ending the show, Holcombe's anguished monologue was compelling, heart-wrenching, and emotionally wrought, perfectly ending the play.

Cooped up in tiny space, the deteriorating orange walls, the dingy, mismatched furniture, and the artful use of three levels enhanced the deplorable condition of the Frank's “home.” The bright red mood lighting, focused on the Nazi flags, emphasized the impending doom, and although there were occasional microphone issues, the sound effects adequately intensified the setting. The show was beautifully underscored by student violinist Darion Roberts, whose haunting glissandi resonated through the theatre.

Count your blessings; the obvious undertone of West Springfield High School's production. There is an intrinsic relation to the teenage angst and growing pains of Anne Frank movingly portrayed by the cast and crew. Now, the photograph of the bright-eyed, dark-haired, persistently smiling girl has become the iconic face of the Holocaust. The one girl preserving humanity in the face of the inhumane.

See additional photos of the show here.

This review is part of the Cappies program, the critics and awards program for high school theater. More information on the Cappies program is available here.