Play Review: "The Diary of Anne Frank" Fairfield High School

            The second show of the festival was The Diary of Anne Frank, performed by Fairfield High School. The story concerns the lives of a Jewish family hiding from the German occupying forces in war-torn Amsterdam. To escape the horrors of Nazi persecution, Otto Frank hides with his wife and two daughters in attic rooms above an Amsterdam warehouse for two years. Also hiding with the Franks are four other people - the Van Daans, their son Peter, and a dentist, Mr Dussel. In her diary Anne recorded an account of the trials and tribulations of the people around her, all trying to live a normal life in cramped attic accommodation, whilst under the constant threat of discovery by the Gestapo. This is a story made all the more dramatic because it is based on a true account, and concerns the lives of real people who lived at a time of unspeakable horror for the Jewish population in many European countries.
           I have seen this show a numerous amount of times, so going into this performance I wasn't very thrilled. The cast did a great job portraying the characters. I can't put my hands on the cast list of the show, so I can't name the characters. The student that played Anne Frank, did a great job. She brought this sense of youth to the character that made her more believable and interesting to watch.

          The set was yet again a very interesting one. I applaud the set director for their amazing work. An interesting set draws you in and holds your attention. The detail of the set was so intricate. I always love when there is running water on a set, it adds a sense of reality to the play. Another thing I found interesting, was the costume changes on stage. Instead of remaining in the same costume the whole show, the characters would change their costumes during a scene change, on stage. It was something that I have never seen done before. One of the high lights of the show was Mouschi, the cat. Fairfield used a real cat and I got a kick out of that. The show was great, with a great set.