Faces in the Crowd

Laguna Blanca Stages a New Version of the Anne Frank Story

by Spencer Klavan

Anne Frank. Ever since her diary was published in 1947, the
world has looked upon that name as a symbol of tragedy and hope, of
fear and redemption. Her story, one of a bright, vivacious, and
terrified girl hiding from an impossibly horrific world, has
captured and broken the hearts of millions. Her diaries have been
published in more than 50 languages, and in 1955 they were made
into a successful play. Now Anne Frank’s tale is coming to Laguna
Blanca School in a way it has never been seen or heard before. Not
since the Broadway success of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s
1955 play version of the Diary of Anne Frank has there been an
entirely new dramatic rendition of Frank’s memoir.

Written by James Still, And Then They
Came for Me attempts to bring Anne Frank’s diary fully into the
21st century for the benefit of another generation of people. It
adds to the original drama material concerning Frank’s relations,
love interests, and dearest friends. It details the lives of those
who came into contact with her for a few brief moments before their
world was turned upside-down. Director Peter McCorkle and his cast
of 16 are thus setting out to tell the story of Anne Frank onstage
in a new way.