Alabama Shakespeare Festival Will Present AND THEN THEY CAME FOR ME: REMEMBERING THE WORLD OF ANNE FRANK

Alabama Shakespeare Festival will present And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank by James Still on the Festival Stage for a limited run on February 9 and 15, 2020. Directed by Addie Gorlin, this multimedia play combines videotaped interviews of Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss with live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II, including their memories of Anne Frank.

Ed was Anne Frank's first boyfriend, mentioned in the beginning of her now-famous diary. Eva Schloss was the same age as Anne Frank and lived in the same apartment building in Amsterdam. Her family also went into hiding the same day as the Frank family, and, they too were betrayed. On Eva's 15th birthday, her family was arrested by the Nazis and sent to concentration camps. Eva and her mother survived, and after the war, her mother married Anne's father, Otto Frank.

"It feels especially important to honor these stories," said Gorlin, as the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp was commemorated earlier this year. "Our goal here is to close the distance - to feel the human connection to the past, but most importantly, to recognize the relevancy, potency, and chilling similarities to elements of our world today."

"I hope that as the years continue to faithfully mark all of the anniversaries connected to World War II that audiences will remember Anne and Ed and Eva and their experiences as young people during the Holocaust," said Still. "The only way that we will remember the Holocaust is if we hear from the people who were actually there."

The cast of And Then They Came for Me comprises eight ASF Acting Fellows, who most recently appeared in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat at ASF. Kira Player takes on the role of Anne; Vivienne Claire Luthin portrays Eva; and Matthew Zimmerman appears as Ed. John Cencio Burgos is Heinz; Andrew Greiche portrays a Hitler Youth; Sania Hyatt plays Mutti/Ed's mother along with Jeremy Sapadin as Ed's father; and George Lamar appears as Pappy.

The creative team includes Scenic/Costume Designer An-Lin Dauber, Lighting/Projection Designer Ted Boyce-Smith, Sound Designer Michael Costagliola, Wig Master/Supervisor Angie Wright, and Stage Manager Izzy French.

Part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance, And Then They Came for Me is recommended for ages 12 and up. This production is general admission. Matinee performances are scheduled on Sunday, February 9 and Saturday, February 15 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for adults are $30 and tickets for youth (ages 17 and younger) are $20. To purchase, call 334.271.5353, visit the ASF Box Office (open Monday - Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.), or go online: ASF.net/worldofannefrank.

ASF's production of And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank is made possible thanks to the support of Vulcan Materials Company and Mrs. Joan B. Loeb.

About Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Alabama Shakespeare Festival is a not-for-profit organization under the direction of Artistic Director Rick Dildine and Executive Director Todd Schmidt. As a beloved Alabama arts institution, ASF broadens the cultural identity of the South by producing the classics, Shakespeare, contemporary plays, musicals, theatre for young audiences, and exciting new works. A leader in education and outreach, ASF serves more than 40,000 students annually with artistic programming. ASF is supported by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Photo Credit: Frank C. Williams

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