THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Plays Bay Street Theatre, Now thru 11/26

Bay Street Theatre's Literature Live! presents THE DIARY OF Anne Frank live on stage tonight, November 8 through Tuesday, November 26. The play is suggested for ages 13 and up. The program is sponsored in part by The Dana Foundation; Halstead Property; Suffolk County; The Sunny & Abe Rosenberg Foundation; and the Town of Southampton. Public performance pricing is set at $12 for students and $25 for adults with special rates for schools and other groups.

The Diary of Anne Frank, written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, is presented as part of Bay Street Theatre's Literature Live! 2013educational program, which presents a piece of literature selected from the core curriculum and brings it to life on stage for the general public as well as for schools across Long Island.

Literature Live! is a BOCES-approved Arts-in-Education program. Plays chosen are from standards-based literature and are supported with teacher-developed lesson plans and reference materials. All performances are 90 minutes and weekday shows are followed by a question and answer session with Werner Reich, a Holocaust survivor.

"We are looking forward to this year's Literature Live! 2013 performance of Anne Frank," says Executive Director Tracy Mitchell. "TheLiterature Live program reaches thousands of students as well as the general public and we are glad to bring this important story back to life this fall in a fully staged, theatrical production."

The Diary of Anne Frank will be directed by Joe Minutillo. Minutillo attended Hofstra University and graduated with a BA in English and later, Theatre. While at Hofstra, he worked closely with Dr. Richard F. Mason who became his mentor in directing. In his last year at the University, Minutillo choreographed the fight sequences in Ray Lawler's play, "Summer Of The Seventeenth Doll" which won the American College Theatre Festival in Washington DC and for which he also received the "Award of Excellence" for fight choreography. After graduating, he continued his studies at Circle in the Square Theatre School and worked with Alan Langdon, Terese Hayden, Elizabeth Parrish, Jacqueline Brooks, and B.H. Barry.

Minutillo was one of the founding members of the New York State Theatre Education Association (NYSTEA) and has assisted with the NYS Assessment in Theatre and the development of the NYS teacher certification in Theatre. This past year received the NYS highest honor in Theatre Education, The "Rod Marriot Award", for his contribution and work in Theatre Education. During his tenure as a Theatre Educator he has directed more than 130 productions in NYC, at the Gateway Playhouse, the Young Playwright's program at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, and for the Young American Writers Project (YAWP) for Emma Walton and Will Chandler through Stony Brook University. Recently Minutillo performed in Joseph Sturek's, "Michael In Room 2" at the Abingdon Theatre Complex, the June Havoc Theatre.

The cast of THE DIARY OF Anne Frank: Sawyer Avery (Peter van Daan), Keith Cornelius (Mr. Frank), Chloë Dirksen (Miep), Terrance Fiore (Mr. Dussel), Lydia Franco-Hodges (Mrs. Frank), Josh Gladstone (Mr. Van Daan), Jessica Mortellaro (Anne Frank), Kate Mueth (Mrs. Van Daan), Joe Pallister (Mr. Kraler) and Georgia Warner (Margot Frank).

The production team of THE DIARY OF Anne Frank will consist of Chris Clark (Production Stage Manager), Elizabeth Schiavo (Assistant Stage Manager), Gary Hygom (Set Designer), Mike Billings (Lighting Designer), Kate Darcy, (Costume Coordinator), Greg Wilson (Costume Coordinator) and Daniel Goodale (Composer).

THE DIARY OF Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett is a stage adaptation of the book. The story, which made its debut in 1956, won both a Tony award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. This riveting play about the lives of eight people hiding from the Nazis in a concealed space above a warehouse allows audiences to feel their claustrophobic existence, their hopes, their fears and their indomitable will to survive.

For those who are interested in supporting the program, donations can be made online at www.baystreet.org or by calling the Administrative office at 631-725-0818. For group sales, show times and to purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 631-725-9500 or buy online at www.baystreet.org.

The Bay Street Theatre is a not-for-profit institution presenting new, classic and contemporary works with a commitment to challenging and entertaining our diverse community. This commitment extends to educational programs for all ages to foster the continued value of theatre as a vital art form for future generations.

Photo Credit: Jim Vacey

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