University High School students Kellen Deyarmin, Emily Dillabough, Tyler Heal, Bethany Peters, Brayden Schwab and Ash Williams came into the Spokane Public Radio performance space to reenact select scenes from their new production of The Diary of Anne Frank.
Four of them also joined E.J. Iannelli in the KPBX studio to talk about this stage adaptation of Anne Frank's diary. The show opens tomorrow and is directed by their instructor, Heather Brown.
Dillabough is playing Anne Frank; Deyarmin and Peters are playing her parents, Otto and Edith, respectively. Schwab and Williams are the Van Daan parents, and Heal is their son Peter. In the play, as in the diary, the two families are hiding in a secluded space in Amsterdam known as the "annex" on account of Jewish persecution and genocide during the Second World War.
The students shed some light on their individual characters and the authenticity they're trying to bring to these roles. In the same vein, they talked about the historical research they did for this production, including meeting with Holocaust survivor Carla Pepperzak. They are also working with dramaturg Jackson Smitham and acting coach Meredith Hutchison-Hartley to enhance their performances.
The interview opened and closed with two short live scenes from the play.
University High School’s new production of The Diary of Anne Frank opens tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb. 21) and runs until Feb. 24 at the school's theater (12420 E 32nd Ave in Spokane Valley). Tickets are available at uhs.ludus.com.
