Anne Frank & Me
Anne
Frank & Me
Opens April 21
The next production at the RTG looks at the Holocaust through the eyes of contemporary
teens in a moving and original way. Playwright Cherie Bennett wrote Anne Frank
and Me, to deal with the issue of Holocaust deniers and to remind all people
about the importance of knowing the truth in history.
Anne Frank and Me begins with a group of today's teenagers who
are given the assignment to read The Diary of Anne Frank. Some of them doubt
that it ever really happened.
Nicole Burns, her younger sister Little-Bit, and friends Mimi
and Suzanne are learning new dance steps for an upcoming school dance. The most
important thing on their minds is finding out which boys like them. The assignment
to read Anne Frank's diary is ignored, except to question whether it is fact
or fiction.
At the dance Nicole runs out of the gym and is hit by a car, giving
her a nasty bump on the head. Suddenly Nicole is in Paris, France, in 1942,
and she has been transformed into a Jew. Her teacher Renee is now her mother,
and her principal is her father, a member of the Resistance. Nicole's teenaged
friends are also transformed, and they live through the horrors of the Nazi
occupation and persecution of the Jews.
Nicole starts to write a diary to chronicle her experiences as
she begins to understand the terrors of World War II. She learns what sacrifices
others made for her and faces some life-changing choices of her own.
Along the way she meets Anne Frank, and they talk about boys,
family, their dreams and faith. You'll have to see the show to find out what
develops for Nicole and her friends and family.
Cherie Bennett wrote Anne Frank and Me specifically to deal with
the issue of people who deny the Holocaust. She chose to use an ordinary Gentile
girl who is transformed to experience what Anne Frank went through and bring
historical facts to life.
Bennett states, "My thrust was to talk about what it was
like to be a teen in a sophisticated city (Paris) under Nazi occupation; about
collaboration, resistance and do-nothing-ism; about the moral choices made by
teens of every faith. Ultimately, Nicole comes to understand why the Holocaust
matters to her twenty-first century life."
Productions of Anne Frank and Me received the following comments:
"It's funny, moving and totally enthralled the audience.
This play was a huge success."
"Teens love and relate to this material. It flows beautifully
from one scene to the next and is written with wit and compassion."
Anne Frank and Me opens April 21 and runs for two weekends through
April 30. Call the RTG box office at 633-4218 to order tickets or for further
information. Remember this is a bonus show, so you will need to order your tickets
separately, if you haven't already done so.
Bring your family to Anne Frank and Me and experience history
being brought to life for a modern audience.
From the Managing/Artistic Director - Doug Instenes
Anne Frank and Me takes a look at the importance of history and
does it in a very topical and moving way. Some of the teenagers in the play
comment that they don't care about what happened a long time ago. What impact
does that have on their lives today?
Playwright Cherie Bennett bridges the gap between modern day and
history. She helps all of us look at history with new eyes, learning to value
what others have done in the past to benefit us today.
Our many freedoms were bought with a price. Many sacrificed their
lives for us and for future generations, and that is a relevant lesson to all
of us at any age.
Believe it or not, some people today continue to deny the Holocaust.
Anne Frank and Me looks at history's truths, contrasted with Holocaust denials,
to show how people make moral choices. Values are as important today as they
were in 1943.
Speaking of the past, this is a good time to thank those people
who have kept the Racine Theatre Guild strong through its 68-year history. Season
ticket holders are the unsung heroes of our theatre, and their loyalty and continued
attendance year after year allow us to continue.
A community theatre like the RTG is committed to reaching out
to local people. The relationship we have with our season ticket holders, especially
those who have stuck by us for many years, is what makes us survive and thrive.
We offer a thank you to all of our season ticket holders, and
we invite more of you to become part of the fold. The RTG is a great bargain
for top-quality theatre, and you, our audience, help us to keep it that way.
Anne Frank & Me
by Cherie Bennett
Cast
Nicole ......................... Alicia Nelson
Little-Bit/Liz-Bette ....... Kate Meyer
Renee .......................... Barbara Akey
Mimi ............................ Jennifer Worman
Anne Frank ................. Amy Bahr
Mary Burns ................. Rose Bliss
Suzanne ...................... Hannah Boehme
John/Jean .................... Stephen Kalmar
Jack/Jacques ............... Doug Kramer
David .......................... Matthew Harris
Eddie/Edouard ............ Ben Rattle
Chrissy/Christina ......... Caitlin McCrory
Crew
Director ....................... Doug Instenes
Technical Dir. .............. Kurt Oian
Scenic Designer ........... Lizz Otto-Cramer
Prod. Stage Mgr. ......... Ron Halvorsen
Stage Manager ............ Russ Stetler
Asst. St. Mgr. ............. Sue Blaha
Costume Design .......... Sybil Knop
Light Design ................ Michael Kurhajec
Light Technician .......... Amy Pirtle and Doug Olivero
Sound Designer ........... Daniel Pirtle
Sound Tech. ................ Donna Nielsen
Makeup ...................... Nicki Monaghan
Flyer ........................... Phil Paulsen
Props Chairs ............... Eric Guttenberg & Dana Strauss