Monthly Archives: August 2015

Dayton Playhouse is pleased to announce auditions for THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, newly adapted by Wendy Kesselman. Director Jennifer Lockwood has recruited a talented production staff including Brian Sharp (Asst. Director), Jared Mola (Stage Mgr.), Chris Newman (Scenic Designer) and J. Gary Thompson (Sound Designer).

Auditions are Sept. 21 & 22 at 7pm at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave, Dayton, OH 45414

Production dates are Nov. 6-15.

This powerful new adaptation, based on The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank, not only shows us the day-to-day lives of 8 people forced into hiding in an attic for over 2 years but provides glimpses of who they were before. Most of all, we see and hear Anne’s natural teenage struggles with parents, identity and romance and her dreams for both her future and a more peaceful, compassionate world.

The director will be seeking to fill the following roles:

• Anne – 13-15, energetic, romantic, very smart but not always thoughtful
• Otto – 50’s, Anne’s father, patient, generous to a fault, educated
• Edith – 40-50, Anne’s mother, more retiring than her outgoing daughter, worn down by years of upheaval and fear
• Margot – 15-18, Anne’s older sister, very like her mother, shy, marvels at her sister’s exuberance in the face of this ordeal
• Peter Van Daan – 16-19, quiet and intelligent, has a temper but also a sweet, appreciative side
• Mrs. Van Daan – 40’s, pushy and spoiled, she romanticizes the past to keep from thinking about the present
• Mr. Van Daan – 50’s, quick to take charge but also to back down when challenged, quick-tempered
• Mr. Dussel – Mature, curmudgeon, uncomfortable around groups and especially children
• Meip – 20’s, sweet young woman, devoted to Mr. Frank and his family
• Mr. Kraler – Mature, businessman

Audition scenes will be posted on Facebook in the next couple of weeks. Please don’t worry about memorizing, but familiarize yourself with the scenes if possible.

To the young ladies auditioning for Anne: You are encouraged to read the book The Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank so you have a feel for who Anne was prior to the time of the play. It will also help you place her monologues in context. You will be asked to read some monologues at auditions. Again, don’t worry about memorizing. I will probably give you some direction and worrying about words will just get in your way.

A final note about the rehearsal schedule: The 8 primary characters are onstage for most of the show. Even when they are not active in a scene, they are usually in view. This means once initial blocking is done in the first couple weeks; everyone will be called for most rehearsals. Anne is always on stage and will be called for all rehearsals. The plan is for rehearsals beginning at 7 PM Monday-Thursday through mid-October with possible Friday rehearsals after that.