BWW Reviews: Encore Entertainment's THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

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Don’t bother reading any further. Just call and order tickets for Encore Entertainment’s fantastic production of The Diary of Anne Frank. It is absolutely riveting and will remain one of the theatrical highlights of the year.

Anne’s diaries were first published in 1947. Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett turned them into an award winning play eight years later. For a 1997 Broadway revival, Wendy Kesselman revised the script incorporating additional material from the sources and it’s this revised version being presented by Encore.

Mario D’Alimonte directs this production with an all but invisible touch. Under his leadership this talented group of performers have come together to offer a fine tribute to the late Miep Gies, who passed away last month at the age of 100.

 It was Miep who helped hide the Frank family and their friends and smuggled food and supplies to them. It was also Miep who hid away Anne’s diaries, preserving this valuable piece of history.  The warm-hearted Miep is given a sensitive portrayal here by Amy Babcock.

Each member of the cast deserves praise for creating dramatic, realistic characters. Even the characters that are given little attention in the script.  For example, Christina Elizabeth Hall still manages to make an impression as Anne’s shy yet supportive older sister, Margot.

Fabio Saposnik is properly malevolent as Anne’s roommate Mr. Dussel and Fleur Jacobs exhibits worn patience the girl’s mother. As the head of the Frank family, Mark Albert tries hard to show leadership even when he doesn’t know what lies ahead.

Morris Jacobs counterbalances this with his dour, sadly henpecked Mr. Van Daan. As his self-important wife, Judy Gans offers a colorful portrait of a materialistic woman who is more concerned over the loss of her fur coat than of her own son’s unhappiness.

Playing the teen-aged Peter Michael Rausch keeps all the boy’s emotions tightly bottled up and uses them to enrich the subtext of his performance. Even in scenes in which he is not directly involved his theatrical instincts come to the fore. He also exhibits wonderful chemistry with Anne.

Caitlynne Medrek is Anne. Not playing Anne. She IS Anne. She covers every emotion from giddy exuberance to total terror and exploring every nuance of this girl on the cusp between being a child and being an adult. It’s a remarkable performance at the apex of an incredibly well done show.

The Diary of Anne Frank plays in the Studio Theatre at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St., until February 7. Evening performances are at 8 pm with a 2 pm matinee on Sunday. Tickets are available through the group’s website, www.encoreshows.com or by calling 416-872-1111.

 

 

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