Photo Flash: Simon Wiesenthal Center Present The U.S. Premiere of ANNE, A NEW PLAY

In celebration of what would have been Anne Frank's 90th birthday this June, the Simon Wiesenthal Center presents the U.S. premiere of Anne, A New Play, a unique play by Dutch playwrights Jessica Durlacher and Leon de Winter that reframes Anne's story through an unconventional lens.

Produced by five-time Tony award nominee Suzi Dietz, Durlacher and de Winter's play has been newly adapted for American audiences by Nick Blaemire from a translation by Susan Massotty and is directed by Eve Brandstein. Previews begin June 5, with opening night set for June 16 at the Peltz Theater in the Center's Museum of Tolerance, where performances will continue through July 22.

In this new adaptation of the immortal Holocaust story, 13 year-old Anne Frank imagines her life as a young woman - safe in a post-war world. When she meets a publisher who expresses interest in her story, Anne looks back on the two years she spent hidden away with her family during the Nazi regime. This innovative production eschews traditional sets and costumes to place the audience and actors on the same dramatic plane as the characters - all real people under real circumstances - fighting for their lives, sanity and dreams of the future.

Anne premiered in Amsterdam in 2014. The New York Times called it a "complex portrayal of a teenage girl who is sometimes impetuous, spoiled and lonely," noting that the play explores the family members' lives before they hid as well as Anne's dream of traveling to Paris.

Anne, A New Play opens on Sunday, June 16 at 7 p.m., with performances thereafter on Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7.p.m. and Mondays at 8 p.m. through July 22. Previews begin on Wednesday, June 5 (check website for preview schedule). General admission is $40, with senior tickets (62+) priced at $25 and student tickets priced at $20. A family pack, good for two adults and up to three children, is $100; Anne, A New Play is appropriate for ages 8 and up.

Discounted combination packages that include a ticket to Anne, A New Play and entrance to the museum's Anne Frank Exhibit are available: check the website atwww.museumoftolerance.com for details.

Photo Credit; Michael Lamont

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