Department of Theatre and Media Arts

Student Actors Connect with History through 'Diary of Anne Frank'

By Leah Hill

Anne’s managed to irritate Mr. van Daan, again.

“Why can’t you be quiet for just five minutes?’’ Mr. van Daan exclaims to Anne, while searching for his pipe.  After some time, he asks everyone in the crowded rooms if they have seen it, including Anne, but she refuses to answer. Anne’s mother asks her why she won’t answer him. Anne retorts that she was told not to speak, and then shoves the pipe, which she had found, in Mr. van Daan’s mouth and walks away.

The crowd gathered to watch this play, in BYU's de Jong Concert Hall, laughs as Van Daan storms off to another area of their cramped living quarters.

BYU’s recent performance of the play Diary of Anne Frank, directed by associate professor of acting, David Morgan, relied on details, comedy and research to recreate the true characters and time period.

During the play, photos are projected on the side of the stage along with dialogue, showing the real Anne Frank, her family and what was happening during their time in hiding. The pictures and the actors on stage create a realistic atmosphere of the Diary of Anne Frank, reminding the audience that Holocaust victims had names and faces and real stories to share.

Morgan had the actors eat real food on stage, asking them to focus on small details like the taste of the food and the smell of the crowded room. Also, the actors never left the stage during the show, even during intermission. As the audience mingled among themselves and left their seats, the actors could still be seen, in the dim light, doing various daily tasks.

Anne’s passionate and talkative personality in close proximity with the other grumpy, reserved or flashy characters in the annex was bound to be humorous.

Becca Ingram, a senior theatre and media arts major who played Anne, said the humor in the play made the story feel more authentic.

“I used to think of Anne as this saintly person, but she is not that,” Ingram said.  “She is so complex and so fun.”

To help with authenticity, Gregory Pyper a senior who served his mission in Germany, was the play’s dramaturge; a crew member that researched the time period’s dialogue, era, and etiquette and helped coach the actors accordingly. Pyper, along with student videographers Kyle Harrison and Mariah Proctor, put together the narrative and pictures projected during the play.

Pyper said he loves theatre because it allows people to see and experience things in a unique way and discuss difficult topics.

“It’s a place where you kind of have that flexibility of disbelief, so I think inside you are able to deal with and play with issues and hard topics in a way that allows you to learn and grow,” Pyper said.  “It is a great place where you can talk about the Holocaust and where we can all learn from it, but also grasp the magnitude.”

The actors took portraying real people seriously. Many spent hours researching their characters.

Heidi Smith, a senior media arts studies major who played Miep Gies, read Gies’ autobiography. She said it was wonderful to portray a real person, something she has never done before.

 “She risked everything, and I can’t even imagine having that kind of selflessness,” Smith said. “I wanted to portray her strength and her bravery.”

Ingram, playing Anne, said she arrived two and a half hours early before each show-time to mentally prepare herself.

“It requires a lot of focus,” Ingram said. “I don’t know if you can ever truly do them justice, but at the same time you can tell their story honestly and sincerely.”