Displaying items by tag: Nashville Children’s Theatre
Review: Young People’s Theatre of Chicago’s 'The Diary of Anne Frank’ at Greenhouse Theater Center
It’s been almost 80 years since the publication of Anne Frank’s Diary, and yet it remains one of the most significant personal accounts of the Holocaust on record. Though ‘The Diary of A Young Girl’ is a well-established work of young adult literature, it continues to be challenged by parents and school boards. The irony is that maybe there’s never been a more important time for children to read this haunting personal narrative.
Young People’s Theatre of Chicago presents a new adaptation of the 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. This is a secondary adaptation as Wendy Kesselman considerably trimmed the play down for the 1997 Broadway revival. Her updated script is generally considered the standard now. This new, 75-minute version was developed by the Nashville Children’s Theatre along with the Anne Frank-Fonds and is making its Chicago premiere at Greenhouse Theater Center. The goal of the shortened running time was to make the play more impactful for younger audiences. This is not to say this new version has been sanitized to appeal to conservative audiences. In fact, this script keeps the play’s most challenging moments intact.
Randy White directs this intimate production with an impressive young cast. Given that this is one of the most produced plays in the world, it’s reasonable to assume this cast could maybe be influenced by other actors’ portrayals of the two families in hiding. Instead, it feels like this cast decided to depict these real-life figures in their own way. Shelley Winters won an Oscar for her somewhat over-the-top performance as Mrs. van Daan, whereas Amy Stricker plays the part with a realistic coolness. One of the production’s most upsetting moments is when she must sacrifice her beloved fur coat so they can afford rations.
Despite its dark subject matter, ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ endures because of Anne Frank’s ceaseless optimism in the face of the unimaginable. This fast-paced version moves quickly from scene to scene, but it doesn’t lose any depth. Rather, this is a version that children can identify with. For many children, ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ is their first exposure to the Holocaust, so while it’s important not to traumatize a younger audience, it’s also important for children to know the truth so that it can’t happen again. This production hits all the emotional high points that make this play so essential. It was touching to see how affected some tiny audience members were by the play’s chilling conclusion.
‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ is a play that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. While it’s certainly Holocaust adjacent, there’s a lot in this script about that human condition, and what it means to be a misunderstood teenager that everyone can relate to. Though Anne Frank never saw the impact her work had on generations of people, she achieved what she set out to do. Her diary is more than just a record of her time in hiding, it’s a work of literature wise beyond its author’s years and reminds us all to be gentler with each other.
Through March 24 at Young People’s Theatre of Chicago at Greenhouse Theater Center. 773-404-7336
Midsommer Flight to present free production of Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET, June 28 – August 4 in six Chicago parks
17 May 2024 in Upcoming TheatreMidsommer Flight, a company that has brought free performances of Shakespeare's plays to Chicago Park District parks since 2012, will…
LEAGUE OF CHICAGO THEATRES HIGHLIGHTS SUMMER 2024 PRODUCTIONS
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Token Theatre to produce new play directed by Emmy winner Alan Muroaka
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Review: Murder in the Cathedral at City Lit Theater
14 May 2024 in Theatre in ReviewI arrived at City Lit Theater’s MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL expecting a heavy, serious, doubtless thought-provoking but rather intimidating major…
Porchlight Shares Dates and Parks for its Free, Summer Concert Series: BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD, June 6 - August 6
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Dance and Sing to the Beat of Life with ‘Last Stop on Market Street’
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'Poor People! The Parody Musical' is rich in laughs
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Review: The Thanksgiving Play at Steppenwolf Theatre
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Bramble Theatre Company presents Festival of Unfinished Work June 26 - June 30
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HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD coming to James M. Nederlander this Fall
10 May 2024 in Upcoming TheatreBroadway In Chicago is excited to announce that individual tickets for the world premiere of the first ever touring production…
Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents The Enigmatist
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Steep Theatre Announces Two New Shows for '24
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"Boy Genius" Orson Welles meets "War of the Worlds" author H.G. Wells in world premiere WELLS AND WELLES, based on true events
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1619: THE JOURNEY OF A PEOPLE to commemorate the arrival in America of the first African slaves and examine the peoples' progress since then
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'Judgment Day' a Top-drawer Production That Will Leave You Laughing, and Maybe Changed for the Better
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Panther In the Sky – “A Moving Tapestry of Grief and Hope"
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IDENTITY PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTS FIRST INTL COLLAB May 17 &18 “Lights/9”
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Eerie, Human Mystery In Captivating ‘Jump’ by Shattered Globe Theatre
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Review: Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Goodman Theatre
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THE GIFT THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES 2024-25 SEASON
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Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre announces 2024 season - celebrates local artists and two of the most significant Black female writers of the past 50 years
23 April 2024 in Upcoming TheatreTim Rhoze, Artistic Director of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, has announced the company's 2024 season of four productions. The season will open with…
Comedy & magic collide in RIDICULOUS! with David Williamson, May 16-June 30 at Rhapsody Theater
23 April 2024 in Theatre in ReviewDavid Williamson, regarded as one of the top magicians in the world today, makes his Rhapsody Theater debut with Ridiculous! Known for his tours…
Latest Articles
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Midsommer Flight to present free production of Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET, June 28 – August 4 in six Chicago parks
Written by Buzz Center StageMidsommer Flight, a company that has brought free performances of Shakespeare's plays to Chicago Park District parks since 2012, will present a fully staged ROMEO AND JULIET - one of the Bard's most popular tragedies - as its 2024 free Shakespeare… -
LEAGUE OF CHICAGO THEATRES HIGHLIGHTS SUMMER 2024 PRODUCTIONS
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago continues to produce some of the most exciting work in the country this Summer, offering a wide variety of plays and musicals, as well as comedy, dance, festivals, and more. To highlight these productions, The League of Chicago Theatres is publishing its Summer…
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Token Theatre to produce new play directed by Emmy winner Alan Muroaka
Written by Buzz Center StageToken Theatre, Chicago's Asian American theatre company, announces the company's first full production, ZAC EFRON, written by Artistic Director David Rhee, co-written by Managing Director Wai Yim and directed by two-time Emmy Award winner Alan Muraoka ("Sesame Street"). ZAC EFRON plays at A Red Orchid Theatre, 1531 N Wells St, June 20-July 21,…
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Review: Murder in the Cathedral at City Lit Theater
Written by Sarz MaxwellI arrived at City Lit Theater’s MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL expecting a heavy, serious, doubtless thought-provoking but rather intimidating major work of literature. By the end of the performance, I wanted to rush out, buy the book and read it…
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