Bakersfield High is setting the stage for the school’s first play of the year! They’re planning on putting on a production of The Diary of Anne Frank. They already had their auditions last month, but they’re working hard, rehearsing for the play. Students will rehearse everyday, except Wednesdays, after school until 5 pm. During tech week, the week before the show, they rehearse for double the time everyday. There are 10 students playing as the main cast, 7 of them being understudies for the roles. When asked about their experience with the play so far, theatre student and drama member Ender Lee says, “It’s been good! I really enjoy being around the people there. It’s always a lot of fun, even if the story we’re telling isn’t.” Ender plays an understudy for the role of Mr. Düssel, and they’re right to mention the story isn’t fun to put on.
The Diary of Anne Frank was dramatized by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich. It was adapted from the autobiography The Diary of a Young Girl, otherwise known as The Diary of Anne Frank, where Anne spends 2 years in hiding during the Holocaust. The play starts off with Otto Frank, father of Anne, and his friend Miep Gies in the attic of where he and his family hid during the Holocaust. There, Otto is given his daughter’s diary and he reads it aloud for the audience, which then switches to Anne telling the story. It discusses the events that happen during the Franks’ (and the Van Daans’) lives as they live in hiding in The Secret Annex.
The Diary of Anne Frank has won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1956 and a Tony Award for Best Play in 1956 as well. The play also won a New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best play, alongside other awards for the crew members and tech. The show was very successful when released and was performed on Broadway at the Cort Theatre (later on moved to the Ambassador Theatre) in the mid 50s. After more than 700 performances, the show moved out of Broadway and traveled the country with almost all of the original cast members during the 50s into the 60s.
So, with Bakersfield High performing this dramatic play in the near future, it’s good to get our hopes up for the first play of the year in the Harvey Auditorium! The cast and tech crew work incredibly hard to put on a performance, so make sure to go out and support our drama students when the show releases! Whether this is by attending the show and giving the club money, buying roses for performers, or even sharing the news around! Typically, they release with 2 opening weekend dates and 2 closing weekend dates, so if you can’t make it to one weekend, you can reach for the other! You can even go to multiple shows; all to show love and support to drama and tech.
