WINDHAM THEATRE GUILD
Auditions for The Diary of Anne Frank
Monday & Tuesday, March 27 & 28 at 7 pm at the Burton Leavitt Theatre
In 1942, thirteen-year-old Anne Frank and her family—German-born Jews—were driven into hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Frank family spent two years living in a cramped annex with several other Jews before they were arrested by the Gestapo in 1944. All except Anne’s father, Otto, perished in Nazi concentration camps. However, during those two years in hiding, Anne Frank kept a remarkably witty, insightful, and moving diary about her life and the world around her. From that journal comes the play, The Diary of Anne Frank, winner of the 1956 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Above all, the play is a celebration of the lively mind of Anne Frank and the complex human spirits of those with whom she shared the annex. Audition for the show and be a part of history
CAST REQUIREMENTS: 5M, 5F, VARIOUS AGES (AGES LISTED BELOW ARE FLEXIBLE)
THE FRANK FAMILY:
ANNE (13-14, but given mature content actor will need to be late teens or up): An animated and occasionally brash young woman with a bright, curious mind. She dreams of growing up to be a famous actor or writer and journals compulsively. Anne often speaks directly to the audience.
MARGOT (late teens +): Anne’s older and more modest sister. Margot is kind and bookish and dreams of growing up to be a doctor.
EDITH (mid 40s): The polite and typically reserved matriarch of the Frank family. She cares deeply for her children and loves music.
OTTO (early 50s): Anne’s kind, gentle father who worked as a businessman before the war. Otto is smart and well-educated and therefore sees to the children’s education.
THE VAN DAAN FAMILY:
PETER (late teens +): A quiet and often awkward young man. Peter is nonetheless kind-hearted and spends much of his time tending to his beloved cat Mouschi.
PETRONELLA (40s): Peter’s mother. She can be vain, critical, and a bit of a busy-body, but she ultimately means well.
HERMANN (40s): Peter’s father. He is sharp but often too outspoken and opinionated and tends to be a strict parent. Hermann’s greatest love is tobacco.
OTHERS:
ALBERT DUSSEL (early 50s): A Jewish dentist who comes to hide with the Franks and the Van Daans. Self-serious and sometimes grumpy, he’s Anne’s roommate in the cramped annex.
MIEP GIES (early 30s): A kind-hearted and courageous woman. Miep helps to hide the Franks and Van Daans and works tirelessly to keep them supplied with food and other necessities.
MR. KRALER (mid 40s): A trusted friend and business partner of Otto Frank before the war, he helps hide the families. Mr. Kraler is a polite and humble man.
ABOUT THE AUDITION: Auditions will consist of readings from selected audition sides from the play text. No advanced preparation required—though it may be helpful to read sides ahead of time. We will be looking for actors with a solid sense of character and strong acting choices. To request audition sides or ask any other questions, please contact director David Smith at
davidbsmitty@gmail.com.
Show Dates: June 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 & 11, 2017
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