KDHX Theatre Review - The Diary of Anne Frank--DTC

Reviewed by James Malone

Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett's The Diary of Anne Frank dramatizes the story of a young girl growing to maturity under great hardships. In many ways, this is an appropriate debut play for the newest entrant on the St. Louis theatre scene, Destination Theatre Company, because like Anne it has both great potential and a lot of growing up to do.

The Diary of Anne Frank tells the now-familiar story of the Franks, Van Daans and Albert Dussel hiding in an attic during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1956, the play has continued to be performed by both amateur and professional companies across the world.

DTC's sincere production of Anne Frank reveals a company with clear vision and ambition that at times overreaches their current abilities and facilities. The company's current home, the lower chapel of the West County Assembly of God, hinders the company. The acoustics swallow sound and the low ceilings make anything more than simple illumination impossible. Also, sitting in sixth row center, this reviewer could not see far stage right because of the lack of a raised playing surface. If Destination Theatre Company wants to become a bigger player in St. Louis theatre they will either have to renovate the space or move to a new location, because the current location hamstrings the company.

DTC's Anne Frank, like the play's titular heroine, makes the best of what it has. The set, consisting of a main room with two adjoining rooms made of bare two-by-fours, conveys the cramped quarters nine people lived in for almost two years. The costuming and props were appropriate for the most part, but the audio and lighting seemed consistently late all night, leaving actors stranded on stage.

Though uneven, the performances in this production of The Diary of Anne Frank convey the story well enough that the final impression is the timeless bravery and precocious wisdom of Anne Frank. Director and DTC founder Allen Moore, who also plays Mr. Van Daan, has made some unusual casting choices. Kristy Moore, who plays Otto Frank, and seventh-grader Jordan Nichols, playing curmudgeon Dr. Dussell, play their parts well enough, but their performances cannot overcome the distraction of a woman playing a man or a teenager playing an old man.

The cast handles the quiet moments of the play well but has trouble dealing with the play's more contentious sequences. Samantha Gienke as Anne Frank seemed stiff and Peter Gienke as Peter Van Daan yelled for the sake of yelling in the first act, but they grew into their characters by Act Two, culminating in a fine scene between the two teens exploring their budding romantic feelings. As Margot, Melanie Williams turns in a subtle, charming performance that is one of the highlights of the night. Amy Maender plays Mrs. Van Daan's pettiness without resorting to hysterics and Suzanne McGinnis' Mrs. Frank is rock solid and believable except for one scene when she loses her temper and begins shouting.

Destination Theatre Company's The Diary of Anne Frank is an uneven but generally positive beginning for this new company. Perhaps DTC has bitten off a bit more than they can chew with this production, but the company's sincerity, enthusiasm and drive got the play's powerful message across, which hopefully is a sign of good things to come from.