Snow College’s Theater Department has the ability to bring to life many different shows, ranging from comedy to joy to sadness. November was a time for Snow students to relive history through one of these performances.
The Diary of Anne Frank follows the life of Anne during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, where she was living. The Frank family took to hiding in an attic for a period of two years when Anne was at the age of 13. Over this time period, Anne recorded thoughts and feelings in her diary which was later published and has been shared around the globe. The Snow College website refers to the show as “an impassioned drama about the lives of eight people hiding from the Nazis in a concealed storage attic, The Diary of Anne Frank captures the claustrophobic realities of their daily existence—their fear, their hope, their laughter, their grief.”
Because of the historical significance of the events, Snow’s theater department wanted the audience to have an experience similar to that of the Frank family in the small attic. For this reason, the show was held in the black box theater to symbolize that attic. Due to the smaller capacity of the black box theater and the popularity of Snow’s productions, shows sold out quickly.
Georgia Collins who was a part of the cast, had this to say in regards to her favorite part of the show, “I loved the scene at the end where we are all happy and eating strawberries because I didn’t have to act, it was just genuinely fun.” While the show focused on a more serious historical event, the cast was able to give the performance their all and still manage to have fun.
As Anne herself put it in her diary, “I want to be useful and bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!” This statement proved to be true for those who had the opportunity to see the production, with many sharing their amazement at the theater department’s ability to put together such a show.
Whether in a cramped attic, or even in an everyday college essay, Badgers are encouraged to do the things they love and be themselves.