Thespian Thoughts – Diary of Anne Frank – Theatre Review by Sandro Monetti

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
Theatre Review by SANDRO MONETTI

This powerful and haunting story will continue to be told forever – and hopefully be told as well as in this production.

Casting is key to the success of any project and Sigi Gradwohl is great as Anne Frank, portraying equally well the humor and the heartbreak required by the role.

She gets superb support from Frank Krueger as Anne’s father, Otto Frank, and he is utterly compelling in the emotion charged epilogue.

That standout duo have a good ensemble around them but are let down by one or two of the performers not projecting their lines loudly enough to be heard beyond the front row.

Director Sabrina Lloyd achieves the right atmosphere – a sense of impending danger that comes with the characters hiding away during World War II.

Of course, we can’t ever change the ending of Anne’s story but impressive stagings like this – a benefit performances sponsored by BJE March of the Living – keep what she stood for very much alive.

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

Written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.
Newly adapted by Wendy Kesselman.

Directed by Sabrina Lloyd

Presented by Year Eight Productions

Reviewed at The Cupcake Theatre
Hollywood, May 18 2015 (show is now closed)

CAST: Sigi Gradwohl, Frank Krueger, Maria Mastroyannis, Becca
Leigh Gellman, Alejandra Bursik-Cervantes, Max
Lichtig, Terry Tocantins, Sabrina Hill, Neil Miller, Robert Gibbons, Brynn Sillyman.

Produced by Caity Engler and Sigi Gradwohl
Stage Manager – Brittany Morison
Set Design – Sarah Taub
Costume Design – Daniel Mahler
Lighting Design – Caity Engler and Sigi Gradwohl
Original Music – Zachary Bernstein

Photo of Sandro by Dawn Bowery from the book California Dreaming: Brits in LA Book

Thespian Thoughts is a theatre review article on Actors Entertainment, a channel on the Actors Podcast Network, a Pepper Jay Production.