1985 "The Diary of Anne Frank"

5 – 19 October 1985

Centennial Theatre

On her thirteenth birthday Anne Frank was given a book in which she began to write her diary. Less than a month after her birthday, she and her family went into hiding, and over the next two years she confided everything to her diary as if it were an intimate friend.

Hope was an instinct in her. She finishes her prayers with joy and gratitude for her safety and her good health, and the beauty of the world: she is sure that God will never abandon her. As the months pass, her irrepressible gaiety deepens. She stares from an attic window at the blue sky, and the flight of a seagull, and thinks of that moment of supreme happiness when, as he is sure God meant men to do, she will look in freedom at these things.

She died in the concentration camp at Belsen three months before her sixteenth birthday. What brought about the death of this charming, intelligent, good child? What moves men to feel such contempt for their fellow human beings that they come to believe that a Jew or a political opponent must be treated as vermin and stamped out?

Anne Frank taught herself a smile of happiness and faith, and this profound smile was not lost, even in Belsen, even when she could no longer hold out against the arrogance of men without God.

Diary entry 3 April 1944:

I want to go on living even after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift ... of expressing all that is in me.

She could not have known that the journal she was writing would enable her to live on and speak to people on the other side of the world in 1985.

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

Dramatised by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett

DIRECTED BY SAM WINER

CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Mr Frank …………………...…Lorenz von Sommaruga

Miep Gies …………….......…………………..Paula Reeve

Mrs Van Daan …………….....…………….Alma Rumsey

Mr Van Daan……………..….....……………Bruce Weston

Peter Van Daan……………......………………Mark Lucas

Mrs Frank………………………….....……..Anne Sheffield

Margot Frank……………..………....……….Sharon Mann

Anne Frank ……………………….....………..Tina Regtien

Mr Kraler………………….........…………………...Eric Coyle

Mr Dussell………………..……......………….John A. Rush

The action of the play passes in the top floors of a warehouse in Amsterdam, Holland.

ACT I
Sc. I - November 1945, late afternoon
Sc. 2 - July 1942, early morning
Sc. 3 - August 1942, a few minutes after 6pm
Sc. 4 - September 1942, midnight
Sc. 5 - December 1942, night

ACT II
Sc. l - January 1944, late afternoon
Sc. 2 - March 1944, evening
Sc. 3 - April 1944, night
Sc. 4 - 1944, afternoon
Sc. 5 - November 1945, late afternoon

Refreshments are available in the lounge during the interval.

The taking of photographs during the performance is prohibited.

SAM WINER - Director

Sam was born in England and came to New Zealand in 1957. He joined the Grafton Theatre,

and later studied Shakespearian production with Nola Miller at Massey University. An actor for 13 years before he began directing some 13 years ago, Sam quickly established himself as one of Auckland's leading directors. He won the NZ Drama Federation Award on three occasions. He has previously directed "Sentenced to Life" and "Mr Wilberforce MP" for Pilgrim. His most recent production was "Judgement at Nuremberg".

LYN LUCICH - Stage Manager

Lyn has been very interested in the theatre for about 14 years. She began in the chorus at St Thomas' Light Opera Club, and later sang roles for other societies as well. She enjoys working backstage particularly with lighting. More recently she has enjoyed the challenge of being Stage Manager. In this capacity she has worked for the North Shore Operatic Society's "Godspell" and "The Boyfriend". She was also stage manager recently for "Everyman the Musical", for Logos Theatre Society.

DENIS CLEARY - Set Designer

Denis was introduced to theatre work over 25 years ago when he became involved with the North Shore Scout Gang Show where he gained experience painting scenery, designing sets and appearing both on stage and in the pit. He has recently been made a life member of Auckland Operatic Society and for that company has designed and stage managed many productions including "Zorba", `Fiddler on the Roof' and "Robert and Elizabeth". He also designed their "Hans Christian Anderson" set. His work as a stage manager has also extended to the Auckland Opera Trust, and to the Symphonia Theatre. Previously for Pilgrim he has designed our sets for "Ride! Ride!", "Sentenced to Life" and "One Friday".

THANKS:

We appreciate the help given by Auckland Operatic Society, Dolphin Theatre, Arena Theatre, Howick Little Theatre, Janet Wilson, Vita Shoes, Kings College, Onehunga High School, Light Opera Club, Mike de Witt, Marianne Mahn, Pitt Street Kingsland and St Judes Methodist Churches.

ERIC COYLE is a recent arrival in Auckland. He has been a member of Corner Theatre, Newtown, Wellington. Recent stage appearances include "Habeas Corpus", "Living Together" and "Dock Brief'. He also has musical talent as a pianist, and having performed in the musical "Dames at Sea". He was introduced to the theatre by Alex Aitchison of Wellington.

MARK LUCAS works at Low Profile. He has been acting for five years and enjoys comedy most of all. Recently he has appeared in "Judgment at Nuremberg" and "The Crucible". He says this role of Peter is the best so far, but he is looking forward to doing more 'light-hearted' plays in the future.

SHARON MANN has belonged to Milford Little Theatre/Milford Playhouse since she was 14 years old. Having learnt French and German, she travelled to Germany while still at school. Recent leading roles have been in "Stage Door", "Twelfth Night" and "As you Like It". Sharon likes playing a variety of roles, and also enjoys singing and dancing. Her preference is to perform in Shakespearian drama.

PAULA REEVE has played many roles in Palmerston North, from Annie in Alan Aykbourne's trilogy "Norman Conquests", to a musical Aunt Em in "The Wizard of Oz". Paula moved to Auckland in April and appeared this year as Mrs Lindnow in "Judgment of Nuremberg". She is currently working as a personnel consultant, and studying acting technique at Theatre Corporate's evening classes.

TINA REGTIEN brings to the demanding role of Anne Frank, the experience gained from three years of classes at Theatre Corporate. She is also part way through a Performing Arts Degree in Australia, which she will resume in 1986. Leading roles in the past-have been in the pantomime "Dick Whittington", the rock musical "Follow the Star", and in "The History of Henry Kabel" performed at The Rocks, Sydney. She is a freelance artist, and in her spare time enjoys jogging and aerobics.

ALMA RUMSEY has been involved in all aspects of theatre since childhood when she joined a juvenile troupe at the age of six in the UK. Since moving to this country most of her work has been in musical comedy with the Palmerston North Operatic Society, and the Manawatu Theatre, 83 productions in all. During a spell in the United States Alma worked for five months with a professional company in Virginia. Recent work in Auckland has been with Dolphin Theatre, and making TV commercials.

JOHN A. RUSH is married with five children. Also a recent arrival in Auckland, John took the role of Otto Frank in Manawatu Theatrical Society's production of "The Diary of Anne Frank". Another recent appearance was in "Whose Life is it Anyway?" If you saw the movie "Savage Islands", a certain pirate will have borne some resemblance to John!

ANNE SHEFFIELD, a beauty consultant, has often found herself in roles of a distinctly unglamorous nature. She played Mrs Swabb in "Habeas Corpus" and just recently, Death in "Everyman, the Musical". Anne brings a wealth of theatrical experience to her portrayal of Mrs Frank, a mother struggling to maintain normality. Last year Anne toured in Pilgrim's one act play "The Waiting Game", and her two sons Adam and Jared are both in the play "Us and Them" currently touring for Pilgrim.

LORENZ VON SOMMARUGA has taken part in 34 plays including Chekhov's "The Three Sisters", Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and John Osborne's "Look back in Anger". He first appeared on the stage in 1946 in the UK in the play "Rebecca". This is his second appearance in the role of Mr Otto Frank. He appeared in New Independant's 1978 production of this play.

BRUCE WESTON has been involved both as an actor and as a director for Pilgrim Productions. He took leading roles in "One Friday", "Ragman", and in last years "Ride! Ride!", and has directed all the one act plays toured by Pilgrim around Auckland churches. Bruce last worked with Sam Winer in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". He is totally committed to Christian Theatre, and sees drama as an integral part of worship.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director.........................................................................................Sam Winer
Production Assistant...................................................................Megan Francis
Stage Manager................................................................................Lyn Lucich
Assistant Stage Manager...........................................................Garth Jacobsen
Set Designer................................................................................Denis Cleary
Wardrobe.............................................................................Maureen Jefferies
Properties...................................................................Tony Nelson, Mary Davis
Lighting design............................................................................Phillip Dexter
Lighting crew....Michael Cooper, Ian McGeachie, Michael Randall, Rachael Thomson
Sound............................................................................................Syd Yarrow
Set construction..........................................................Garth Jacobsen, Neil Lobb
Stage crew...............................Neil Lobb, Kim Louise Matchett Cat Puffin Matchett
Prompt...................................................................................Glenda Matchett
Art Work........................................................................................Alison Sims
Photography.................................................................................Barry Spring
Publicity..................................................................................Glenda Matchett
Box office and financial management..............................................David Davies
Front of House..........................................................................The Committee
Ushers and programmes...........................Naomi Caughey and Auckland churches

PILGRIM PRODUCTIONS INC. COMMITTEE 1985

Merilyn Benson (Secretary), Naomi Caughey, Richard Caughey, Bill Chessum, Avis Cooper, David Davies (Treasurer), Mary Davis, Wendy Dowsing, Megan Francis, Aileen Henderson, Neil Lobb, Glenda Matchett, Marion Neller (Chairman), Ngaire Stewart, Colin Waters, Bruce Weston.

Life Member: Rev. Stanley R. Goudge.

THEATRE both in ancient Greece and in medieval Europe had its origins in religious observance and expression. From there it moved outside the church walls to the marketplace where it became secularised. God was no longer at the centre of life and thought.

The French author Alfred Simons writes, "Our theatre is tormented by remorse for its forgotten origins." Richard Vachoux, writing in 1978 in a Swiss newspaper, against a background of an increasing number of political plays invading European theatre, said, "Let us never forget that the theatre was born of the religious mysteries. Today's theatre no longer allows contemporary man to feel the mystery of existence. Theatre should throw a bridge between history and what lies beyond history and allow man to cross this bridge by giving him the keys, the techniques of the inner life."

We hope that the Christian theatre we present will provide that bridge. That it will on the one hand encourage us to be real about ourselves and our world, but also celebrate for us the reality, which can be experienced, of hope, of change, of rebirth.

We trust you will be inspired by the story of Anne Frank. Her diary is an appropriate monument to her fine spirit and to all of those who have worked and are working still for peace.