THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
adapted by Wendy Kesselman
directed by Joseph Discher
WHEN: Wednesday, October 14th and continue through Saturday, November 21st
WHERE: F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Avenue (at Lancaster Road) in Madison
TICKETS: $25 for preview performances and $32 for regular performances. In an effort to reach as many young people and families as possible, discount $20 student tickets may be purchased in advance online, at the box office or by calling 973-408-5600.
Student Rush tickets are available at the box office a half-hour before curtain for $15 with a valid Student ID.
For tickets, call the Box Office at 973-408-5600, visit www.ShakespeareNJ.org, or email BoxOffice@ShakespeareNJ.org.
Nearly 75 years ago in the Netherlands, a young girl received a diary for her 13th birthday. Today, Anne Frank’s humor, strength, and innate goodness continue to shine forth from her words to inspire readers and audiences of all ages. The powerful story of her family’s will to survive comes to unforgettable life for a new generation in this adaptation of the Pulitzer, Tony, and NY Drama Critic’s Circle Award-winning play.
The Playwrights: Written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, the original Broadway production received the 1956 Tony Award for Best Play, and the script received the 1956 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Goodrich and Hackett also adapted the play for the screen in 1959. Nearly 40 years later, Wendy Kesselman was commissioned to create an adaptation of Goodrich and Hackett’s original play, which debuted in 1997. Kesselman drew from the newly restored version of Anne’s diary, reincorporating the passages about her Jewish identity that had been previously omitted and downplayed in earlier versions. In addition, she eliminated the flashback-like feeling of the original—opting instead for a straightforward, chronological retelling. Variety called the play “one of the 20th century’s most remarkable and enduring pieces of literature.”
Kesselman’s adaptation was nominated for the 1998 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, and starred George Hearn, Linda Lavin, Harris Yulin, and served as the Broadway debut of Natalie Portman.
Additional Programs and Partnerships:
*In an effort to reach as many young people and families as possible, discount $20 student tickets may be purchased in advance online, at the box office or by calling 973-408-5600. Student rush tickets may still be purchased for $15 one half-hour before the show in person at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, but availability may be limited.
The Shakespeare Theatre has also partnered with the College of Saint Elizabeth Center for Holocaust and Genocide Education. The center’s Week of Holocaust Remembrance begins on November 9th with its 25th annual Kristallnacht Commemoration and events continue through November 13th. For a full list of events and more information visit
http://www.CSE.edu/HolocaustCenter. All events are free and open to the public.
In conjunction with The Diary of Anne Frank, the Drew University Center for Holocaust/Genocide Study will present two programs. On October 14th at 4:00 p.m., there will be a free showing of No. 4 Street of Our Lady, a film about Fran Malkin, a child hidden during the Holocaust. The film will be shown at the Drew University Learning Center, room 28. On October 21st beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Center will host a panel featuring Selma Rossen, a hidden child from Poland. This event will be held on the Drew University campus in Brothers College, room 101.
Finally, The Shakespeare Theatre has joined with The Anne Frank Center USA for further educational opportunities. All patrons who attend a performance of The Diary of Anne Frank will receive a voucher for a 50% discount to The Anne Frank Center, located at 44 Park Place, in New York City.
Special Performances:
Discount preview performances for The Diary of Anne Frank take place on Wednesday, October 14th at 7:30 PM, Thursday, October 15th and Friday, October 16th at 8:00 PM, and Saturday, October 17th at 2:00 PM. Preview performances offer opportunities for reduced-priced tickets while enjoying the excitement of the very first performances in front of an audience. As always, the first Preview performance is Pay What You Can Night. Visit The Shakespeare Theatre Box Office between noon and performance-time on Wednesday, October 14th to purchase a ticket for that evening’s 7:30 PM show, at a cost that is affordable to you. Offer subject to availability.
For no more than the cost of a regular ticket, three Symposium Series performances are offered for each show, and include a post-play discussion with the cast and artistic staff. Symposium performances for The Diary of Anne Frank will be Tuesday, October 20th at 7:30 PM and Saturday, October 24th and Saturday, October 31st at 2:00 PM.
For each production, The Shakespeare Theatre presents the popular education program Know the Show. From 7:00 to 7:30 PM, an artist from The Shakespeare Theatre will present a pre-performance talk that provides background information and an insider’s perspective on the production. The Know the Show performance will be held on Thursday, October 22nd at 7:00 PM, and is free of charge.
One of the leading Shakespeare theatres in the nation, serving 100,000 adults and children annually, The Shakespeare Theatre is New Jersey’s largest professional theatre company dedicated solely to Shakespeare’s canon and other world classics. Through its distinguished productions and education programs, the company strives to illuminate the universal and lasting relevance of the classics for contemporary audiences.
The acclaimed Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is an independent, professional theatre company located on the Drew University campus. The Outdoor Stage is located on the campus of the College of St. Elizabeth and the Theatre’s support and education facility is in Florham Park.
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional major support is received from The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation, The Edward T. Cone Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, CTW Foundation, The Samuel H. Scripps Foundation, and Drew University, as well as contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, government agencies and individuals. The 2015 Outdoor Stage production of Love’s Labour’s Lost is sponsored by Bank of America.
