Stan Zimmerman Adds Twist To A Classic Production Of ANNE FRANK With Latinx Cast

Everyone knows the story of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager hidden away, while Nazi's hunt down Jews during World War II. One director, Stan Zimmerman, is adding quite the twist to the production. Hispanic actors and actress will play all these parts as the debate over immigration is escalating in America. Stan Zimmerman is the director of this play, "The Diary Of Anne Frank,"which returns to Los Angeles at The Dorie Theatre, January 12, 2019, after a sold out limited engagement last fall.

The interest in Stan bringing this specific production to Los Angeles came when he read a report from two CNN Reporters about a Jewish woman in Los Angeles who got connected to a Latino mom and her two daughters, when her husband was suddenly deported. A Priest in LA helped her by creating a safe-house for the family, as they were afraid of also being deported by ICE.

Zimmerman was instantly reminded of The Diary of Anne Frankand thought, "what if I had cast predominantly LatinX actors in this play? And that's when I became excited about starting a dialogue about what that would mean for them."

The Reporter asked the Jewish woman(who's identity was concealed), do you hear the echoes of history here? Her response was"100%. What was done to us can never happen again."

The director wants to be perfectly clear, they are not changing the Nazi's into ICE Agents, they are doing a word for word presentation of the 1997 Broadway Production that Natalie Portman starred in. No words will be changed. It is quite simply a director's choice to cast the LatinX actors in these roles.

Zimmerman goes on to explain that the message he hopes to send with this cast and production is that he is hopeful that the tragedy of Anne Frank and The Holocaust can reach a whole new audience, but can also be used to educate. "This show is being done out of honor and love for her story. As a Jew, I would never demean her story but I think it is also extremely important because two of the LatinX actors (15 & 16 years old), had never even heard of Anne Frank. In the past, The Diary Of Anne Frank was a part of school's curriculum, and today, it is no longer a part of the curriculum. And I feel that is a sad fact."

The Diary of Anne Frank is once again being produced by Pop-Up Playhouse in conjunction with Anne Kathryn Parma.

THE ORIGINAL CAST RETURNS (From the sold out production last Fall 2018)

Aris Alvarado ("Gilmore Girls"), Keith Coogan ("Adventures in Babysitting"), Tasha Dixon (Miss Arizona USA), David Gurrola ("Insecure"), Heather Olt ("The Middle"), Raquenel ("My Life is a Telenovela"), Robert C. Raicch ("Are We There Yet?"), Raymond Abel Tomas, Emiliano Torres ("Shooter"), Nikki Mejia ("Big Dogs") and Genesis Ochoa as Anne Frank.

The Diary Of Anne Frankopens January 12 - February 24, 2019, at The Dorie Theatre at The Complex. Located at 6476 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA. 90038. Performances will be Friday & Saturday 8:00PM and Sunday 3:00PM.

There will be one Preview performance Friday, Jan. 11 @ 8PM.

General advance admission is $25.

Reserved advance seating is $35.

Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3921444

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