The Diary of Anne Frank: Little Theatre of Savannah

Aristotle once wrote that "Poetry [read drama] was more philosophical than history." This is largely due to the fact that while good drama must, absolutely must, have a coherent storyline, whereas the historical record rests simply on the empirical record. Given these two divergent impulses, it is so rare to find truly effecting, historically-based drama. Either one recounts the epics of bygone days, or one winds up, like Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theatre Project, coming off as preachy.

However, none of this is a concern in terms of the Little Theatre of Savannah's Diary of Anne Frank, presented this fall of 2009 at the Freight Station Theatre. Director Benjamin Wolfe, along with his cast, has brought forth a piece of exquisite sentimentality and understanding that truly brings out the highest potential of community theatre. As we draw in individuals from a variety of backgrounds, as opposed to that monetized epithet "show folk," such a theatre is capable of great work built around a number of viewpoints.

Mr. Wolfe's creation gives an excellent view of life in the Annex for the Franks and Van Daans, who have gone into hiding to escape Nazi persecution. Though almost the entire cast remains onstage for the entirety of the play, they become neither distracting nor dead space. This is a significant accomplishment in a play that contains a high number of two-person scenes. Indeed, if one were to glance about the stage while Anne and Peter chat away in the loft, one will find Mrs. Van Daan knitting, Otto Frank reading a book, and Alfred Dussel enrobing to go to bed. It is a testament to Savannah's best director, and the discipline of his cast, that none of this is an actual distraction, but only adds to the living sense within the annex.

The cast, with it's variety of backgrounds and levels of training, have come together and met the challenge of this work with skill and sensitivity. Sean Carleton, as Peter Van Daan, gawkily demonstrates the effects that first love can have on a boy, while Nicole Pearlman as Anne Frank shows us a vital, energetic girl with a largely indomitable spirit. Also highly worth watching were Laura Mesmer as Petronella Van Daan, Eve Butler as Miep Gies, and Logan Padilla as Alfred Dussel.

Despite the delightful performances listed above, the performance of Jeryo Hannah, as Otto Frank, deserves a moment of special mention. Mr. Hannah depicts the sincere yet harassed benefactor and father of this wayward flock with a brightness of spirit and sincere concern that truly causes one's heart to reach towards him in comfort. If there are weaknesses, they are caulked over in order to keep this particular ship afloat. Though he might overindulge the emotion at the end, and the whole play becomes a diet of anchovies after the Nazis kick in the door, this can easily be understood.

At the end of the day, Little Theatre's Diary of Anne Frank demonstrates just how much community theatre, often maligned for lack of quality or meaning, is capable of. The set, designed by Megan Baptiste-Field, was both elegant and functional, keeping a cramped space outside of the realm of claustrophobia while maintaining the pressure on its contents.

As Mr. Wolfe writes in his director's note, there is a coming together as "one family" required of the theatre community in this city. With the recent fluxes experiences by a number of our performing arts companies, we may need to cling to one another all the tighter to fight a rising tide.