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Diary Of Anne Frank In Kelowna

The Kelowna Actors Studio Embraces The Diary Of A Young Girl in Nazi Germany

Sep 19, 2006 Mike Mackenzie

The story of Anne Frank is not new to anyone. Hiding in an attic from the Nazis with her family, her diary has been the voice of a generation.

The Kelowna Actors Studio is well known in British Columbia for their outstanding theatrical productions, and for the first time, they are tackling Wendy Kesselman's newly adapted stage version of The Diary Of Anne Frank.

The press release says: "Set during the Holocaust, The Diary of Anne Frank is based on the actual diary of a young girl who comes of age while hiding from the Nazis. Anne and her family were in hiding for more than two years in an overcrowded attic. During their confinement, Anne discovers herself, and through her diary entries, she appears as a beautiful, thoughtful, and extraordinary girl."

Well known in the Kelowna region for it's outstanding musicals, including The Wizard Of Oz, Fiddler On The Roof, and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but in recent years have included productions of The Laramie Project, Shirley Valentine, and The Odd Couple, amongst others, in their seasons.

Randy Leslie, Artistic Director of the Actors Studio, directs the production. He says, "The magic of this play is that it reduces the incomprehensible numbers of Holocaust victims to specific, identifiable individuals. It puts a personal, human face on the staggering statistics of man's own inhumanity to his own kind. My hope is that audiences will leave the theatre inspired and moved by this story."

Alex Lesosky stars as Anne, and she spent this past summer touring Amsterdam and the Frank Home doing research for the part. Also in the cast are Ron Green, Kim Fournier, Cory Dagg, Vivian Hughes, Dorothy Dalba, Shane Martens, Scott Lawler, Shannon Furney and Cormac Eby.

Produced and designed by Nathan Flavel, the set features a replicate of the Frank family's actual hiding place. "The original building still stands in Amsterdam as a museum and international shrine, so the reference materials for planning the set design, were extremely accurate," says Flavel. "Theatrically, some small things had to be changed, but right down to the decor, it's amazingly true to the original."

The Kelowna Actors Studio production of The Diary Of Anne Frank runs October 12 - November 3, 2006 at Kelowna Actors Studio (across from the Kelowna Public Library). Tickets for dinner or dessert-theatre options range from $27-61, and are available at the Actors Studio on-site box office at 1379 Ellis Street, by calling 86- ACTOR (862-2867) or visiting the on-line box office on the Kelowna Actors Studio Website.

The copyright of the article Diary Of Anne Frank In Kelowna in Modern World Theatre is owned by Mike Mackenzie. Permission to republish Diary Of Anne Frank In Kelowna in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.