New Jewish Theatre opens ‘chai’ season with ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’

The New Jewish Theatre will open its 18th season with the iconic play “The Diary of Anne Frank” from Oct. 11 through Nov. 2. This is the first production of the play by NJT. 

The story is familiar: The Frank family along with another family, the Van Daans, and dentist, Alfred Dussel went into hiding in the hidden annex of Otto Frank’s factory in Amsterdam in July of 1942. They lived together in cramped quarters and under tight security restrictions for just two years when the Nazis found them in August of 1944. During that time, Anne, a precocious teenage girl, wrote copiously in her diary. 

The diary was recovered after the war and given to her father, Otto, the only survivor of the eight. The play, originally written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett in 1955, was adapted by Wendy Kesselman for a new Broadway production in 1997 featuring Natalie Portman as Anne. The adaptation (which NJT is producing) paints a more realistic picture of this precocious young girl and is more sensitive to the Jewishness of the group.

There will be four special matinee performances especially for school groups.

Gary Wayne Barker directs a cast that features Bobby Miller, Amy Loui, Terry Meddows, Jason Grubbe, Samantha Moyer, Taylor Steward, Leo Ramsey, Margeau Stienau, Stephanie Kluba, Eric Dean White, Nathan Schroeder, Craig Jones and Erik Kuhn. The play will be presented in the Jewish Community Center’s Wool Studio Theatre, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. 

Single tickets are $38 – $42 and are available at newjewishtheatre.org or 314-442-3283 (call for information on subscriptions).