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DISCOVER! | JULY 23, 2016
20 | Playbill
At a Glance:
WHAT: “The Diary of Anne Frank”
WHERE: Okoboji Summer Theatre,
2001 Hwy. 71, Okoboji, IA
WHEN: July 19-24
COST: Tickets are $20 for musicals
and $18 for non-musicals.
CONTACT: 712-332-7773
ONLINE: Find them on Facebook
Cast:
Anne Frank: Clara Bentz
Otto Frank: Ivan Zizek
Mrs. Van Daan: Sydney Benton
Mr. Van Daan: Jeff Young
Mr. Dussel: Jim Epstein
Edith Frank: Abilene Olson
Peter Van Daan: Austin Taylor
Smith
Margot Frank: Haley Huskey
Mr. Kraler: Steve Taft
Miep Gies: Katherine Moore
First Nighters:
Travis and Holly Heidebrink of
Mankato, MN, were the winners
of this week’s First Nighters
Giveaway. They received two
free tickets to tonight’s performance
as well as other fun
prizes.
“It’s really good. I like the fact
that it’s live. I like everyone’s facial
expressions. They are doing
such a great job,” Travis said.
KATE HARLOW | STAFF WRITER
Retelling a familiar story
“The Diary of Anne Frank” on stage now at OST
I
don’t know a single person who
made it through middle and high
school without being assigned “The
Diary of Anne Frank,” as required
reading material.
I know I had to write a lengthy book
report on the story.
For the most part, it’s a story that
everyone is familiar with, but it’s not
often that you are presented with a
familiar story in a new way.
That’s just what is happening onstage
now at Okoboji Summer Theatre
with their production of Wendy
Kesselman’s “The Diary of Anne
Frank.” It will be onstage from July
19-24. Her adaptation of the original
stage play by Goodrich and Hackett
incorporates newly discovered writing
from the diary of Anne Frank as well
as some accounts from survivors.
It’s much more brutal than what I
remember of the original production,
but that starkness is contrasted with
moments of happiness and joy.
That joy is brought to the stage by
Anne Frank, our central character and
narrator of our story. She is played
by Clara Bentz, who faithfully portrays
Anne’s dual driving emotions
of wanting to remain true to herself,
while struggling to overcome the fear
of the unknown. Bentz convincingly
presents a young 13-year-old girl who
is average in many ways. She’s overdramatic,
walking the wire between
adulthood and childhood, and, of
course, she doesn’t get along with her
mother.
The rest of the group that is
smashed together in the secret annex,
which kept the assembled Jews alive
for two years before they were discovered,
is compiled of three families.
Anne’s family is headed by father
Otto, played by Ivan Zizek, mother
Edith, played by Abilene Olson, and
sister Margot, played by Haley Huskey.
The assemblage is rounded out by
the three Van Daans and Mr. Dussel.
The live play is interspersed with
Anne reading from her diary and from
recordings played through the radio.
All of the actors did a fine job, but
I am compelled to add one caveat.
They all had thick German accents,
which at times got a bit muddled,
thus it made it hard to understand the
dialogue at times. Hopefully, this is a
kink that they will work out with a bit
more time on the stage.
Those moments were few though,
and definitely should not discourage
people from going to see this show.
As you certainly already know, the
ending of this show is not a happy
one, but it was certainly illuminating.
It is amazing that the story of a
13-year-old girl has persisted through
more than six decades, but it certainly
is an amazing story worthy of the retelling.
F
Okoboji | Iowa