Friday, June 15, 2012

The Diary of Anne Frank Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett

Cover of "The Diary of Anne Frank"
Cover of The Diary of Anne Frank


The Diary of Anne Frank
Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett 


http://www.onread.com/fbreader/191048/

http://www.nexuslearning.net/books/holt-eol2/Collection%205/Diary%20Act%201%20Scene%201&2.htm







Characters 
Occupants of the Secret Annex
    Anne Frank    
    Margot Frank, her older sister
    Mr. Frank, their father
    Mrs. Frank, their mother
    Peter Van Daan 
    Mr. Van Daan, his father
    Mrs. Van Daan, his mother
    Mr. Dussel, a dentist 
Workers in Mr. Frank’s Business: 
    Miep Gies, a young Dutchwoman 
    Mr. Kraler, a Dutchman 

Setting: Amsterdam, the Netherlands, July 1942 to August 1944; November 1945. 

SCENE 1 

The scene remains the same throughout the play. It is the top floor of a warehouse and office building in Amsterdam, Holland. The sharply peaked roof of the building is outlined against a sea of other rooftops stretching away into the distance. Nearby is the belfry of a church tower, the Westertoren, whose carillon rings out the hours. Occasionally faint sounds float up from below: the voices of children playing in the street, the tramp of marching feet, a boat whistle from the canal.

The three rooms of the top floor and a small attic space above are exposed to our view. The largest of the rooms is in the center, with two small rooms, slightly raised, on either side. On the right is a bathroom, out of sight. A narrow, steep flight of stairs at the back leads up to the attic. The rooms are sparsely furnished, with a few chairs, cots, a table or two. The windows are painted over or covered with makeshift blackout curtains. In the main room there is a sink, a gas ring for cooking, and a wood-burning stove for warmth. 
The room on the left is hardly more than a closet. There is a skylight in the sloping ceiling. Directly under this room is a small, steep stairwell, with steps leading down to a door. This is the only entrance from the building below. When the door is opened, we see that it has been concealed on the outer side by a bookcase attached to it. 
The curtain rises on an empty stage. It is late afternoon, November 1945. 
The rooms are dusty, the curtains in rags. Chairs and tables are overturned. 
The door at the foot of the small stairwell swings open. MR. FRANK comes up the steps into view. He is a gentle, cultured European in his middle years. There is still a trace of a German accent in his speech. 
He stands looking slowly around, making a supreme effort at self-control. He is weak, ill. His clothes are thread-bare. 
After a second he drops his rucksack on the couch and moves slowly about. He opens the door to one of the smaller rooms and then abruptly closes it again, turning away. He goes to the window at the back, looking off at the Westertoren as its carillon strikes the hour of six; then he moves restlessly on. 
From the street below we hear the sound of a barrel organ and children’s voices at play. There is a many-colored scarf hanging from a nail. MR. FRANK takes it, putting it around his neck. As he starts back for his rucksack, his eye is caught by something lying on the floor. It is a woman’s white glove. He holds it in his hand and suddenly all of his self-control is gone. He breaks down crying. 
We hear footsteps on the stairs. MIEP GIES comes up, looking for MR. FRANK. MIEP is a Dutchwoman of about twenty-two. She wears a coat and hat, ready to go home. She is pregnant. Her attitude toward MR. FRANK is protective, compassionate. 
Miep. Are you all right, Mr. Frank? 
Mr. Frank (quickly controlling himself ). Yes, Miep, yes. 
Miep. Everyone in the office has gone home. . . . It’s after six. (Then, pleading) Don’t stay up here, Mr. Frank. What’s the use of torturing yourself like this? 
Mr. Frank. I’ve come to say goodbye . . . I’m leaving here, Miep. 
Miep. What do you mean? Where are you going? Where? 
Mr. Frank. I don’t know yet. I haven’t decided. 
Miep. Mr. Frank, you can’t leave here! This is your home! Amsterdam is your home. Your business is here, waiting for you. . . . You’re needed here. . . . Now that the war is over, there are things that . . . 
Mr. Frank. I can’t stay in Amsterdam, Miep. It has too many memories for me. Everywhere, there’s something . . . the house we lived in . . . the school . . . that street organ playing out there . . . I’m not the person you used to know, Miep. I’m a bitter old man. (Breaking off) Forgive me. I shouldn’t speak to you like this . . . after all that you did for us . . . the suffering . . . 
Miep. No. No. It wasn’t suffering. You can’t say we suffered. (As she speaks, she straightens a chair which is overturned.) 
Mr. Frank. I know what you went through, you and Mr. Kraler. I’ll remember it as long as I live. (He gives one last look around.) Come, Miep. (He starts for the steps, then remembers his rucksack, going back to get it.
Miep (hurrying up to a cupboard). Mr. Frank, did you see? There are some of your papers here. (She brings a bundle of papers to him.) We found them in a heap of rubbish on the floor after . . . after you left. 
Mr. Frank. Burn them. (He opens his rucksack to put the glove in it.) 
Miep. But, Mr. Frank, there are letters, notes . . . 
Mr. Frank. Burn them. All of them. 
Miep. Burn this? (She hands him a paper-bound notebook.) 
Mr. Frank (quietly). Anne’s diary. (He opens the diary and begins to read.) “Monday, the sixth of July, nineteen forty-two.” (To MIEP) Nineteen forty-two. Is it possible, Miep? . . . Only three years ago. (As he continues his reading, he sits down on the couch.) “Dear Diary, since you and I are going to be great friends, I will start by telling you about myself. My name is Anne Frank. I am thirteen years old. I was born in Germany the twelfth of June, nineteen twenty-nine. As my family is Jewish, we emigrated to Holland when Hitler came to power.”
[As MR. FRANK reads on, another voice joins his, as if coming from the air. It is ANNE’s voice. ] 
Mr. Frank and Anne’s Voice. “My father started a business, importing spice and herbs. Things went well for us until nineteen forty. Then the war came, and the Dutch capitulation, followed by the arrival of the Germans. Then things got very bad for the Jews.” 
[MR. FRANK’s voice dies out. ANNE’s voice continues aloneThe lights dim slowly to darkness. The curtain falls on the scene.
Anne’s Voice. You could not do this and you could not do that. They forced Father out of his business. We had to wear yellow stars. I had to turn in my bike. I couldn’t go to a Dutch school anymore. I couldn’t go to the movies or ride in an automobile or even on a streetcar, and a million other things. But somehow we children still managed to have fun. Yesterday Father told me we were going into hiding. Where, he wouldn’t say. At five o’clock this morning Mother woke me and told me to hurry and get dressed. I was to put on as many clothes as I could. It would look too suspicious if we walked along carrying suitcases. It wasn’t until we were on our way that I learned where we were going. Our hiding place was to be upstairs in the building where Father used to have his business. Three other people were coming in with us . . . the Van Daans and their son Peter . . . Father knew the Van Daans but we had never met them. . . .

[During the last lines the curtain rises on the scene. The lights dim on. ANNE’s voice fades out.


SCENE 2 


It is early morning, July 1942. The rooms are bare, as before, but they are now clean and orderly. 
MR. VAN DAAN, a tall, portly man in his late forties, is in the main room, pacing up and down, nervously smoking a cigarette. His clothes and overcoat are expensive and well cut. 
MRS. VAN DAAN sits on the couch, clutching her possessions: a hatbox, bags, etc. She is a pretty woman in her early forties. She wears a fur coat over her other clothes. 
PETER VAN DAAN is standing at the window of the room on the right, looking down at the street below. He is a shy, awkward boy of sixteen. He wears a cap, a raincoat, and long Dutch trousers, like plus fours.6 At his feet is a black case, a carrier for his cat. 

The yellow Star of David is conspicuous on all of their clothes. 
Mrs. Van Daan (rising, nervous, excited). Something’s happened to them! I know it! 
Mr. Van Daan. Now, Kerli!
Mrs. Van Daan. Mr. Frank said they’d be here at seven o’clock. He said . . . 
Mr. Van Daan. They have two miles to walk. You can’t expect . . . 
Mrs. Van Daan. They’ve been picked up. That’s what’s happened. They’ve been taken . . . 
[MR. VAN DAAN indicates that he hears someone coming.]
Mr. Van Daan. You see? 
[PETER takes up his carrier and his school bag, etc., and goes into the main room as MR. FRANK comes up the stairwell from below. MR. FRANK looks much younger now. His movements are brisk, his manner confident. He wears an overcoat and carries his hat and a small cardboard box. He crosses to the VAN DAANS, shaking hands with each of them.] 
Mr. Frank. Mrs. Van Daan, Mr. Van Daan, Peter. (Then, in explanation of their lateness) There were too many of the Green Police on the streets . . . we had to take the long way around.

[Up the steps come MARGOT FRANK, MRS. FRANK, MIEP (not pregnant now), and MR. KRALER. All of them carry bags, packages, and so forth. The Star of David is conspicuous on all of theFRANKS’ clothing. MARGOT is eighteen, beautiful, quiet, shy. MRS. FRANK is a young mother, gently bred, reserved. She, like MR. FRANK, has a slight German accent. MR. KRALER is a Dutchman, dependable, kindly
As MR. KRALER and MIEP go upstage to put down their parcels, MRS. FRANK turns back to call ANNE.]
Mrs. Frank. Anne? 
[ANNE comes running up the stairs. She is thirteen, quick in her movements, interested in everything, mercurial in her emotions. She wears a cape and long wool socks and carries a school bag.
Mr. Frank (introducing them). My wife, Edith. Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan (MRS. FRANK hurries over, shaking hands with them.) . . . their son, Peter . . . my daughters, Margot and Anne.

[ANNE gives a polite little curtsy as she shakes MR. VAN DAAN’s hand. Then she immediately starts off on a tour of investigation of her new home, going upstairs to the attic room
MIEP and MR. KRALER are putting the various things they have brought on the shelves.
Mr. Kraler. I’m sorry there is still so much confusion. 
Mr. Frank. Please. Don’t think of it. After all, we’ll have plenty of leisure to arrange everything ourselves. 
Miep (to MRS. FRANK). We put the stores of food you sent in here. Your drugs are here . . . soap, linen here. 
Mrs. Frank. Thank you, Miep. 
Miep. I made up the beds . . . the way Mr. Frank and Mr. Kraler said. (She starts out.) Forgive me. I have to hurry. I’ve got to go to the other side of town to get some ration books for you.

Mrs. Van Daan. Ration books? If they see our names on ration books, they’ll know we’re here. 
Mr. Kraler (speaking at the same time as MIEP). There isn’t anything . . . 
Miep. Don’t worry. Your names won’t be on them. (As she hurries out) I’ll be up later. 
Mr. Frank. Thank you, Miep.

Mrs. Frank (to MR. KRALER). It’s illegal, then, the ration books? We’ve never done anything illegal.

Mr. Frank. We won’t be living here exactly according to regulations. 
[As MR. KRALER reassures MRS. FRANK, he takes various small things, such as matches and soap, from his pockets, handing them to her.
Mr. Kraler. This isn’t the black market, Mrs. Frank. This is what we call the white market . . . helping all of the hundreds and hundreds who are hiding out in Amsterdam.

[The carillon is heard playing the quarter-hour before eight. MR. KRALER looks at his watch. ANNE stops at the window as she comes down the stairs.] 
Anne. It’s the Westertoren! 
Mr. Kraler. I must go. I must be out of here and downstairs in the office before the workmen get here. (He starts for the stairs leading out.) Miep or I, or both of us, will be up each day to bring you food and news and find out what your needs are. Tomorrow I’ll get you a better bolt for the door at the foot of the stairs. It needs a bolt that you can throw yourself and open only at our signal. (To MR. FRANK) Oh . . . You’ll tell them about the noise? 
Mr. Frank. I’ll tell them. 
Mr. Kraler. Goodbye, then, for the moment. I’ll come up again, after the workmen leave. 
Mr. Frank. Goodbye, Mr. Kraler.

Mrs. Frank (shaking his hand). How can we thank you?

[The others murmur their goodbyes.] 
Mr. Kraler. I never thought I’d live to see the day when a man like Mr. Frank would have to go into hiding. When you think——
[He breaks off, going out. MR. FRANK follows him down the steps, bolting the door after him. In the interval before he returns, PETER goes over to MARGOT, shaking hands with her. As MR. FRANKcomes back up the steps, MRS. FRANK questions him anxiously.] 
Mrs. Frank. What did he mean, about the noise? 
Mr. Frank. First let us take off some of these clothes. 
[They all start to take off garment after garment. On each of their coats, sweaters, blouses, suits, dresses is another yellow Star of David. MR. and MRS. FRANK are underdressed quite simply. The others wear several things: sweaters, extra dresses, bathrobes, aprons, nightgowns, etc.
Mr. Van Daan. It’s a wonder we weren’t arrested, walking along the streets . . . Petronella with a fur coat in July . . . and that cat of Peter’s crying all the way. 
Anne (as she is removing a pair of panties). A cat? 
Mrs. Frank (shocked). Anne, please! 
Anne. It’s all right. I’ve got on three more. 
[She pulls off two more. Finally, as they have all removed their surplus clothes, they look to MR. FRANK, waiting for him to speak.] 
Mr. Frank. Now. About the noise. While the men are in the building below, we must have complete quiet. Every sound can be heard down there, not only in the workrooms but in the offices too. The men come at about eight-thirty and leave at about five-thirty. So, to be perfectly safe, from eight in the morning until six in the evening we must move only when it is necessary, and then in stockinged feet. We must not speak above a whisper. We must not run any water. We cannot use the sink or even, forgive me, the w.c. The pipes go down through the workrooms. It would be heard. No trash . . . (MR. FRANK stops abruptly as he hears the sound of marching feet from the street below. Everyone is motionless, paralyzed with fear. MR. FRANK goes quietly into the room on the right to look down out of the window. ANNE runs after him, peering out with him. The tramping feet pass without stopping. The tension is relieved. MR. FRANK, followed by ANNE, returns to the main room and resumes his instructions to the group.) . . . No trash must ever be thrown out which might reveal that someone is living up here . . . not even a potato paring. We must burn everything in the stove at night. This is the way we must live until it is over, if we are to survive.

[There is silence for a second.] 
Mrs. Frank. Until it is over. 
Mr. Frank (reassuringly). After six we can move about . . . we can talk and laugh and have our supper and read and play games . . . just as we would at home. (He looks at his watch.) And now I think it would be wise if we all went to our rooms, and were settled before eight o’clock. Mrs. Van Daan, you and your husband will be upstairs. I regret that there’s no place up there for Peter. But he will be here, near us. This will be our common room, where we’ll meet to talk and eat and read, like one family. 
Mr. Van Daan. And where do you and Mrs. Frank sleep? 
Mr. Frank. This room is also our bedroom. 
Mrs. Van Daan. (speaking at the same time as MR. VAN DAAN). That isn’t right. We’ll sleep here and you take the room upstairs. 
Mr. Van Daan. It’s your place. 
Mr. Frank. Please. I’ve thought this out for weeks. It’s the best arrangement. The only arrangement. 
Mrs. Van Daan (to MR. FRANK). Never, never can we thank you. (Then, to MRS. FRANK) I don’t know what would have happened to us, if it hadn’t been for Mr. Frank. 
Mr. Frank. You don’t know how your husband helped me when I came to this country . . . knowing no one . . . not able to speak the language. I can never repay him for that. (Going to MR. VAN DAAN) May I help you with your things? 
Mr. Van Daan. No. No. (To MRS. VAN DAAN) Come along, liefje.

Mrs. Van Daan. You’ll be all right, Peter? You’re not afraid? 
Peter (embarrassed). Please, Mother. 
[They start up the stairs to the attic room above. MR. FRANK turns to MRS. FRANK.]

Mr. Frank. You too must have some rest, Edith. You didn’t close your eyes last night. Nor you, Margot. 
Anne. I slept, Father. Wasn’t that funny? I knew it was the last night in my own bed, and yet I slept soundly. 
Mr. Frank. I’m glad, Anne. Now you’ll be able to help me straighten things in here. (To MRS. FRANK and MARGOT) Come with me. . . . You and Margot rest in this room for the time being. (He picks up their clothes, starting for the room on the right.) 
Mrs. Frank. You’re sure . . . ? I could help . . . And Anne hasn’t had her milk . . . 
Mr. Frank. I’ll give it to her. (To ANNE and PETER) Anne, Peter . . . it’s best that you take off your shoes now, before you forget. (He leads the way to the room, followed by MARGOT.) 
Mrs. Frank. You’re sure you’re not tired, Anne? 
Anne. I feel fine. I’m going to help Father. 
Mrs. Frank. Peter, I’m glad you are to be with us. 
Peter. Yes, Mrs. Frank. 
[MRS. FRANK goes to join MR. FRANK and MARGOT. 
During the following scene MR. FRANK helps MARGOT and MRS. FRANK to hang up their clothes. Then he persuades them both to lie down and rest. The VAN DAANS, in their room above, settle themselves. In the main room ANNE and PETER remove their shoes. PETER takes his cat out of the carrier.
Anne. What’s your cat’s name? 
Peter. Mouschi.
Anne. Mouschi! Mouschi! Mouschi! (She picks up the cat, walking away with it. To PETER) I love cats. I have one . . . a darling little cat. But they made me leave her behind. I left some food and a note for the neighbors to take care of her. . . . I’m going to miss her terribly. What is yours? A him or a her? 
Peter. He’s a tom. He doesn’t like strangers. (He takes the cat from her, putting it back in its carrier.
Anne (unabashed). Then I’ll have to stop being a stranger, won’t I? Is he fixed? 
Peter (startled). Huh? 
Anne. Did you have him fixed? 
Peter. No. 
Anne. Oh, you ought to have him fixed—to keep him from—you know, fighting. Where did you go to school? 
Peter. Jewish Secondary. 
Anne. But that’s where Margot and I go! I never saw you around. 
Peter. I used to see you . . . sometimes . . . 
Anne. You did? 
Peter. . . . in the schoolyard. You were always in the middle of a bunch of kids. (He takes a penknife from his pocket.)
Anne. Why didn’t you ever come over? 
Peter. I’m sort of a lone wolf. (He starts to rip off his Star of David.
Anne. What are you doing? 
Peter. Taking it off. 
Anne. But you can’t do that. They’ll arrest you if you go out without your star. 
[He tosses his knife on the table.] 
Peter. Who’s going out? 
Anne. Why, of course! You’re right! Of course we don’t need them anymore. (She picks up his knife and starts to take her star off.) I wonder what our friends will think when we don’t show up today? 
Peter. I didn’t have any dates with anyone.

Anne. Oh, I did. I had a date with Jopie to go and play ping-pong at her house. Do you know Jopie de Waal?14

Peter. No. 
Anne. Jopie’s my best friend. I wonder what she’ll think when she telephones and there’s no answer? . . . Probably she’ll go over to the house. . . . I wonder what she’ll think . . . we left everything as if we’d suddenly been called away . . . breakfast dishes in the sink . . . beds not made . . . (As she pulls off her star, the cloth underneath shows clearly the color and form of the star.) Look! It’s still there! (PETER goes over to the stove with his star.) What’re you going to do with yours? 
Peter. Burn it. 
Anne. (She starts to throw hers in, and cannot.) It’s funny, I can’t throw mine away. I don’t know why. 
Peter. You can’t throw . . . ? Something they branded you with . . . ? That they made you wear so they could spit on you? 
Anne. I know. I know. But after all, it is the Star of David, isn’t it? 
[In the bedroom, right, MARGOT and MRS. FRANK are lying down. MR. FRANK starts quietly out.
Peter. Maybe it’s different for a girl. 
[MR. FRANK comes into the main room.]
Mr. Frank. Forgive me, Peter. Now let me see. We must find a bed for your cat. (He goes to a cupboard.) I’m glad you brought your cat. Anne was feeling so badly about hers. (Getting a used small washtub) Here we are. Will it be comfortable in that? 
Peter (gathering up his things). Thanks. 
Mr. Frank (opening the door of the room on the left). And here is your room. But I warn you, Peter, you can’t grow anymore. Not an inch, or you’ll have to sleep with your feet out of the skylight. Are you hungry? 
Peter. No. 
Mr. Frank. We have some bread and butter. 
Peter. No, thank you. 
Mr. Frank. You can have it for luncheon then. And tonight we will have a real supper . . . our first supper together. 
Peter. Thanks. Thanks. (He goes into his room. During the following scene he arranges his possessions in his new room.) 
Mr. Frank. That’s a nice boy, Peter. 
Anne. He’s awfully shy, isn’t he? 
Mr. Frank. You’ll like him, I know. 
Anne. I certainly hope so, since he’s the only boy I’m likely to see for months and months. 
[MR. FRANK sits down, taking off his shoes.
Mr. Frank. Annele, there’s a box there. Will you open it?

[He indicates a carton on the couch. ANNE brings it to the center table. In the street below, there is the sound of children playing.
Anne (as she opens the carton). You know the way I’m going to think of it here? I’m going to think of it as a boardinghouse. A very peculiar summer boardinghouse, like the one that we——(She breaks off as she pulls out some photographs.) Father! My movie stars! I was wondering where they were! I was looking for them this morning . . . and Queen Wilhelmina! How wonderful!

Mr. Frank. There’s something more. Go on. Look further. (He goes over to the sink, pouring a glass of milk from a thermos bottle.) 
Anne ( pulling out a pasteboard-bound book). A diary! (She throws her arms around her father.) I’ve never had a diary. And I’ve always longed for one. (She looks around the room.) Pencil, pencil, pencil, pencil. (She starts down the stairs.) I’m going down to the office to get a pencil. 
Mr. Frank. Anne! No! (He goes after her, catching her by the arm and pulling her back.) 
Anne (startled). But there’s no one in the building now. 
Mr. Frank. It doesn’t matter. I don’t want you ever to go beyond that door.
Anne (sobered). Never . . . ? Not even at nighttime, when everyone is gone? Or on Sundays? Can’t I go down to listen to the radio? 
Mr. Frank. Never. I am sorry, Anneke. It isn’t safe. No, you must never go beyond that door.

[For the first time ANNE realizes what “going into hiding” means.]
Anne. I see. 
Mr. Frank. It’ll be hard, I know. But always remember this, Anneke. There are no walls, there are no bolts, no locks that anyone can put on your mind. Miep will bring us books. We will read history, poetry, mythology. (He gives her the glass of milk.) Here’s your milk. (With his arm about her, they go over to the couch, sitting down side by side.) As a matter of fact, between us, Anne, being here has certain advantages for you. For instance, you remember the battle you had with your mother the other day on the subject of overshoes? You said you’d rather die than wear overshoes? But in the end you had to wear them? Well now, you see, for as long as we are here, you will never have to wear overshoes! Isn’t that good? And the coat that you inherited from Margot, you won’t have to wear that anymore. And the piano! You won’t have to practice on the piano. I tell you, this is going to be a fine life for you! 
[ANNE’s panic is gone. PETER appears in the doorway of his room, with a saucer in his hand. He is carrying his cat.] 
Peter. I . . . I . . . I thought I’d better get some water for Mouschi before . . . 
Mr. Frank. Of course. 
[As he starts toward the sink, the carillon begins to chime the hour of eight. He tiptoes to the window at the back and looks down at the street below. He turns to PETER, indicating in pantomime that it is too late. PETER starts back for his room. He steps on a creaking board. The three of them are frozen for a minute in fear. As PETER starts away again, ANNE tiptoes over to him and pours some of the milk from her glass into the saucer for the cat. PETER squats on the floor, putting the milk before the cat. MR. FRANK gives ANNE his fountain pen and then goes into the room at the right. For a second ANNEwatches the cat; then she goes over to the center table and opens her diary.
In the room at the right, MRS. FRANK has sat up quickly at the sound of the carillon. MR. FRANK comes in and sits down beside her on the settee, his arm comfortingly around her.

Upstairs, in the attic room, MR. and MRS. VAN DAAN have hung their clothes in the closet and are now seated on the iron bed. MRS. VAN DAAN leans back, exhausted. MR. VAN DAAN fans her with a newspaper
ANNE starts to write in her diary. The lights dim out; the curtain falls
In the darkness ANNE’s voice comes to us again, faintly at first and then with growing strength.] 
Anne’s Voice. I expect I should be describing what it feels like to go into hiding. But I really don’t know yet myself. I only know it’s funny never to be able to go outdoors . . . never to breathe fresh air . . . never to run and shout and jump. It’s the silence in the nights that frightens me most. Every time I hear a creak in the house or a step on the street outside, I’m sure they’re coming for us. The days aren’t so bad. At least we know that Miep and Mr. Kraler are down there below us in the office. Our protectors, we call them. I asked Father what would happen to them if the Nazis found out they were hiding us. Pim said that they would suffer the same fate that we would. . . . Imagine! They know this, and yet when they come up here, they’re always cheerful and gay, as if there were nothing in the world to bother them. . . . Friday, the twenty-first of August, nineteen forty-two. Today I’m going to tell you our general news. Mother is unbearable. She insists on treating me like a baby, which I loathe. Otherwise things are going better. The weather is . . .

[As ANNE’s voice is fading out, the curtain rises on the scene.]


Click here to navigate through Act 1Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, and Homework.
----










 
An Educational Study Guide
Presented by Park Square Theatre
February 20 – May 18, 2007
 
Educational Programs at Park Square Are Funded in Part By:
The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation, 3M Foundation, Best Buy Children’s
Foundation, Deluxe Corporation Foundation, RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation, Securian
Foundation, The Minnesota State Arts Board, Saint Paul Travelers, Target Foundation,
Thompson West, Hugh J. Andersen Foundation, Lady Slipper Chapter – American Women’s
Business Association and Xcel Energy Foundation
The Diary of Anne Frank
     by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett  2
Table of Contents
A Time Line of Events in Europe and in the Life of the Frank Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
A History of Anne Frank’s Diary . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
What Really Happened? A Comparison of Events in the Play to Historical Facts. . . . . . . . . . .8
A Play Revisited: The Diary of Anne Frank: The 1997 Production. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Judaism and Jewish Culture in the Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
An Explanation of the Holiday of Hanukkah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Oh, Hanukkah: Comparing the Lyrics in The Diary of Anne Frank                                            .            
to the Traditional Lyrics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
What it Was Like to Live in the Annex? Interdisciplinary Activities and Discussion. . . . . . .20
A Diagram of the Dimensions and Layout of the Secret Annex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Floorplans for the Set Designs for the 1955 Broadway Production and                                      .
Park Square’s  Production of The Diary of Anne Frank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Photos of the Secret Annex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
The Holocaust: How Could it Happen? (Ingroup/Outgroup Differentiation). . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Who is Responsible? Assessing Levels of Responsibility for the Holocaust                              .
by Individuals and Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Forget Me Not: A Film and Activity Personalizing the Holocaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Classroom Activity Ideas for The Diary of Anne Frank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Writing Topics for The Diary of Anne Frank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
About Annotated Bibliography of Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . 35
Study Guide Production Staff
Original Editors: Tom Brandt, Cheryl Ann Hornstein
Editor of 2007 Edition: Mary Finnerty, Director of Education—Park Square Theatre
Teacher Contributors: Leischen Sopoci, Richard Nicolai, Anne Heath,
 Laura Johnson, Tim Marburger
Director of Education, Park Square Theatre - Mary Finnerty
Former Literary Manager, Park Square Theatre - Matt Sciple
Cover Design and Layout: Ami Christensen
If you have questions or comments about this guide or any of our education programs, please
contact Mary Finnerty, Education Director, by phone 651-767-8494, fax 651-291-9180, email finnerty@parksquaretheatre.org or letter:
Park Square Theatre
408 St. Peter Street, Suite 110
St. Paul, MN 55102
February, 2007  3
A Time Line of Events in Europe and in the Life of the Frank Family
November 11, 1918  End of World War I.
January 1923   The Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party, known as the Nazi Party, holds its
   first rally in Munich.
May 12, 1925   Otto Frank and Edith Hollander are married in Aachen,  
        Germany.
Fall 1925    Mein Kampf, Hitler’s autobiography and anti-Semitic plan,
   is published.
February 16, 1926  The Franks’ first daughter, Margot, is born in Frankfurt,
      Germany.
June 12, 1929   The Franks’ second daughter, Annelies Marie or Anne, is
   born in Frankfurt, Germany.
October 29, 1929  “Black Tuesday.” The American Stock Market crashes,
   wiping out the fortunes of  investors overnight and starting
   a worldwide economic depression.
July 31, 1932   The Nazis receive 37.4% of the vote and are asked to form
   a coalition government.
January 30, 1933  Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany.
February 1933   Freedom of speech and assembly is suspended by the Nazi
   government.
Spring 1933   The Gestapo (Secret State Police) is
   established. Dachau, the main concentration
   camp for political prisoners, is built.
April 1933   The Nazis declare a boycott of Jewish
   businesses and medical and legal practices.
   A law excluding non-Aryans removes Jews
   from government and teaching positions.
May 10, 1933  Books by Jews, political enemies of the
   Nazi state, and other “undesirables” are
   burned in huge rallies throughout Germany.
Summer 1933   The Franks decide the family must move to
   the Netherlands due to increasing tensions in
      Germany.
January 1934   Forced sterilization of the racially “inferior,” primarily ROMA (“Gypsies”), African-
   Germans, and the “unfit,” the mentally and physically disabled, begins.
Fall 1935   The Nuremberg Laws are passed defining Jews as non-citizens and making any
   marriage between Aryans and Jews illegal.
August 1, 1936   The Olympic Games open in Berlin. Anti-Semitic signs are removed during the
games.
Otto and Edith Frank in 1925
A view through the fence at Dachau
Edith, Margot, and Anne in
Frankfurt in 1933   4
March 12, 1938   Germany annexes Austria.
November 9-10, 1938  Kristallnacht, a state-sponsored pogrom in Germany and Austria. Synagogues and
   Jewish-owned businesses are looted and destroyed, and 30,000 Jews are transported
   to concentration camps.
March 15, 1939   The Nazis occupy Czechoslovakia.
September 1, 1939  Germany invades Poland; World War II begins.
September 1939   Hitler implements the “Tiergarten 4” program, killing the
   institutionalized, physically disabled and mentally handicapped.
April and May 1940  Germany invades Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, France,
   Belgium and Luxembourg. Jewish children are made to wear
   the yellow star.
December 7, 1941  Japan attacks the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor. The next day the
   United States enters World War II.
December 11, 1941  Germany declares war on the U.S.
March 1942   Sobibor, Belzec and Auschwitz-Birkenau all become fully
   operational death camps,  followed by Treblinka in July.
June 12, 1942   Anne receives a diary for her thirteenth birthday.
July 5, 1942   Margot receives a call-up notice to report for deportation to
   a labor camp. The family goes into hiding the next day.
July 13, 1942   The van Pels family (called van Daan in Anne’s diary),
   another Jewish family originally from Germany, joins the
   Frank family in hiding.
November 16, 1942  Fritz Pfeffer (called Alfred Dussel by Anne), the eighth
   and final resident of the Secret Annex, joins the Franks
      and Van Pels.
June 1943   SS leader Himmler orders the “liquidation” of all the Jewish
   ghettos in Poland and the Soviet Union by forcing their residents into death camps.
June 6, 1944   The allies invade Western Europe (D-Day).
August 4, 1944   The residents of the Secret Annex are betrayed and arrested. They are taken to a
   police station in Amsterdam and eventually to the Westerbork Transit Camp.
September 3, 1944  The eight prisoners are transported in a sealed cattle car to Auschwitz. This would be
   the last transport to ever leave Westerbork.
September 1944   Hermann Van Pells (Mr. Van Daan) is murdered in the gas
   chambers shortly after arriving at Auschwitz.
October 1944   Anne and Margot Frank are transferred to the Bergen-Belsen
   Concentration Camp.
Anne at her desk
at the Merwedeplein
in Amsterdam
Hermann Van Pels  5
November 26, 1944  Himmler orders troops to destroy the crematoria at Auschwitz to
   hide the Nazi war crimes.
December 20, 1944  Fritz Pfeffer dies at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp in
      Germany.
January 6, 1945   Edith Frank dies at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the women’s subcamp.
January 27, 1945  Otto Frank is liberated from Auschwitz by the Russian Army. He
   is taken first to Odessa and then to France before he is allowed to
   make his way back to Amsterdam.
March 1945   Anne and Margot Frank die at Bergen-Belsen within days of each other.
Spring 1945   Mrs. Van Pels dies at the Theresienstadt camp in
   Czechoslovakia.
May 5, 1945   Peter Van Pels, after surviving a death march from Auschwitz, dies
   in Austria at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, just days before it
   was liberated.
May 7, 1945   Germany surrenders, and the war ends in Europe, less than two
   months after Anne’s death.
June 3, 1945   Otto Frank arrives in Amsterdam, where he is reunited with Miep
   and Jan Gies. He  concentrates on finding Margot and Anne.
August 1945   Otto Frank visits a Mrs. Brilleslijper who was with his daughters in
   Bergen-Belsen. She tells him of Anne’s and Margot’s deaths in
   Bergen-Belsen.
November 1945   The Nuremberg Trials of Nazi war criminals begin.
Summer 1947   1,500 copies of Anne’s diary are published by Contact Publishers in Amsterdam.
1951    The diary is translated into English.
1955      The Diary of Anne Frank, a play by Goodrich and Hackett, opens on Broadway.
1959    The American film version of Diary is produced with Millie Perkins as Anne.
August 19, 1980   Otto Frank dies in Switzerland.
This timeline is adapted from the internet Study Guide for the 1997 Broadway revival of The Diary of Anne Frank.
Fritz Pfeffer
Peter Van Pels
Mrs. Van Pels  6
A History of Anne Frank’s Diary
Anne Frank kept her diary from June 12, 1942 to August 1, 1944. She
received the diary for her 13
th
 birthday on June 12, 1942 and started
writing in her diary unaware that in a month she would be forced into
hiding with her family because Hitler’s Nazis would try to imprison
them for being Jewish. Anne recorded her innermost feelings in her
diary, which she named “Kitty.”
At first Anne wrote the diary strictly for herself, but after hearing a radio broadcast calling for
ordinary citizens to provide their diaries after the war for historical purposes, Anne rewrote
her diary. She edited it and improved the text, omitting passages she didn’t think were
interesting enough, and at the same time keeping up her original diary. She changed the
names of the hiders and helpers for the rewrite: (Hiders: Mr. Pfeffer to Albert Dussel, Mr. and
Mrs. Van Pels to Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, and Peter Van Pels to Peter van Daan. Helpers:
Miep Gies to Miep Van Santen, Bep Voskuijl to Elli Vossen, Johannes Kleiman to Mr.
Koophuis and Victor Kugler to Mr. Kraler.)
On August 4, 1944, the eight people hiding in the Secret Annex were
arrested. Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl, the two secretaries working in
the building, found Anne’s diaries before the Nazis ransacked the
annex and Miep put the diaries in safekeeping. Miep did not read the
diary because she knew it incriminated the people who had helped
those in hiding and that if she read it she would have to “burn it” in
order to protect their lives.
Otto Frank, Anne’s father, returned to the annex after the war and
found he was the only one of the eight to survive the concentration
camps. Miep Gies gave Otto Frank what was left of Anne, her diary.
After much deliberation, Otto Frank decided to publish Anne’s
diary so that readers would learn about the effects of the Nazi
regime and its process of dehumanization. However, in the
immediate aftermath of the war, it wasn’t easy for Mr. Frank to
find a publisher; he was told that no one wanted to read about
the Holocaust. When a newspaper finally printed a story about
Anne’s diary, it captured the interest of a Dutch firm, Contact
Publishers, which wanted to publish it. The diary was published
using Anne’s chosen title, The Secret Annex, in June of 1947.
This edition included Anne’s rewritten version and parts of the
original diary, but several passages dealing with Anne’s
sexuality were omitted at the time of the diary’s first
publication as it was not customary to write openly about sex.
Mr. Frank also omitted some unflattering passages about his
wife and the other people of the Secret Annex. Likewise, with
the publication of the diary, Otto Frank gave the Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer the names
that Anne created for them. At first only 1,500 copies of the diary were printed, but demand
was so great that another edition was quickly produced.
Miep Gies
Otto Frank in the attic after the war  7
After Otto Frank died in 1980, The Anne Frank foundation in Switzerland, which was Otto
Frank’s sole heir, inherited his daughter’s copyrights and published a new expanded 1986
edition of the diary. The 1986 edition contains all of the entries that Otto Frank and Contact
Publishers removed from the original 1947 edition.
Neo-Nazi groups have targeted Anne Frank’s diary, questioning its authenticity in order to
deny the full implications of the Holocaust. In response to these claims, the Netherlands
Institute for War Documentation had tests performed on the paper, ink and glue used in the
diary, which proved that it was written during the 1940s. Tests were also performed on
Anne’s handwriting. The scientific study proved that Anne Frank’s diary was indeed written
by Anne Frank during the Holocaust. The 1986 edition also includes transcripts of these tests,
which verify the authenticity of the diary.
The Critical Edition¸ published in 1989, includes Anne’s revisions in addition to what Otto
Frank took out, comparing all three versions of Anne’s diary. In 1995, Doubleday published
another version of the diary on the 50
th
 anniversary of Anne Frank’s death. This edition also
included parts of the diary that Otto Frank omitted.
During the months Anne lived in hiding, her diary became her best friend and confidant;
Anne rewrote some diary entries into stories and also wrote some fantasy stories. All of her
stories are now published. Today Anne Frank’s diary has been translated into 55 languages
and is one of the most widely read books in the world.  8
What Really Happened?
A Comparison of Events in the Play to Historical Facts
by Matt Sciple
Based on and including many of the actual words contained in Anne Frank’s Diary of a
Young Girl, Goodrich and Hackett’s play, The Diary of Anne Frank, is a theatrical adaptation.
It alters and selectively omits several entries and events from its source material. All the
changes were approved by Anne’s father, Otto Frank, who was an advisor for the original
production. Examine the changes and discuss the reasons they might have been made.
In the Play
Anne receives the diary for the first time
in the Secret Annex. Its first entry is
dated July 6, 1942.
The Franks go into hiding because of the
general danger of their situation.
The Van Daans are in the annex first,
impatiently awaiting the Franks’ arrival.
The arrival of Dussel is a surprise to the
Franks; Mr. Kraler brings him, saying,
“It’s just a night or two, until I find
some other space. This happened so
suddenly that I didn’t know where to
turn” (Act I, Scene 3).
Dussel says, “I’m a man who has always
lived alone. I haven’t had to adjust
myself to others” (Act I, Scene 3).
There is only one occasion where the
attic inhabitants fear discovery.
In History
The diary was a birthday present. The
first entry is dated June 12, 1942 when
the Franks were still living in their
home and Anne was still in school.
In the entries dated July 8 and July 9,
1942, it is explained that the Franks
have to go into hiding earlier than
originally planned because Margot
received a “call-up notice from the
SS.”
The Franks entered the annex on July
9 and the Van Danns (Van Pels)
arrived on July 12.
Mr. Dussel’s (Fritz Pfeffer’s) arrival
was well planned: “We always thought
there was enough room and food for
one more… we chose a dentist”
(11/10/42).
Fritz Pfeffer, “Alfred Dussel” in
Anne’s Diary, had one son, Peter, and
a fiancée, Charlotta Kaletta, who was a
Christian. Fritz and Charlotta could
not wed because under the Nazi’s
Nuremberg Laws intermarriage was
considered a criminal offense.
There were several instances when
Anne and the others feared discovery:
“Our German visitors were back last
Saturday…” (4/27/43).  9
In the Play
Anne expresses little curiosity about the
act of sex or the physical changes in her
body.
Anne’s interest in Peter is more romantic
than sexual and remains very innocent
except for a brief kiss on the cheek,
which he initiates. The only physical act
they discuss is kissing.
Anne’s recorded voice in the play is
heard saying, “I still believe, in spite of
everything, that people are really good at
heart,” to which Mr. Frank responds,
“She puts me to shame.”
In History
“Mr. Kugler thinks this burglar belongs
to the same gang as the one who made an
unsuccessful attempt six weeks ago to
open all three doors” (5/16/43).
“Mr. Van Maaren, the man who works in
the warehouse, is getting suspicious
about the Annex…” (9/16/43).
Anne’s personal feelings about her
blossoming sexuality were edited out of
the original diary:
“I think what’s happening to me is so
wonderful, and I don’t just mean the
changes taking place on the outside of
my body, but those on the inside. When I
lie awake at night I feel a terrible urge to
touch my breasts and listen to the quiet,
steady breathing of my heart… Every
time I see a female nude, such as the
Venus in my art history book, I go into
ecstasy…” (1/6/44).
“Soon after I turned eleven, they told me
about menstruation. But even then, I had
no idea where the blood came from or
what it was for” (3/18/44).
Anne and Peter compare sexual
knowledge and she quizzes him about the
male body: “[Peter] told me a lot about
what he called [prophylactics]
Prasentivmitteln” (3/23/44).
“I don’t know how I suddenly made the
right movement, but before we went
downstairs he [Peter] gave me a
kiss” (4/16/44).
Anne’s diary actually reads, “It’s
difficult in times like these: ideals,
dreams and cherished hopes rise within
us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s
a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my
ideals; they seem so absurd and
impractical. Yet I cling to them because I
still believe, in spite of everything, that
people are truly good at heart.
Anne at her school desk in
Amsterdam, 1940   10
In the Play
Anne says, “We’re not the only people
that have had to suffer. There’ve
always been people that have had to…
sometimes one race… sometimes
another.”
Anne idealizes her father and squabbles
occasionally with her mother.
In History
It’s utterly impossible for me to build
my life on a foundation of chaos,
suffering and death. I see the world as
slowly being transformed into a
wilderness, I hear that approaching
thunder that, one day, will destroy us
too, I hear the suffering of millions.
And yet, when I look up at the sky, I
somehow feel that everything will
change for the better…” (7/15/44).
“There’s a destructive urge in people,
the urge to rage, murder and
kill” (5/3/44).  
“In the eyes of the world, we’re
doomed, but if after all this suffering,
there are still Jews left, the Jewish
people will be held up as an example.
Who knows, maybe our religion will
teach the world and all the people in it
about goodness, and that’s the reason,
the only reason we have had to suffer.
We can never be just Dutch, or just
English, or whatever, we will always be
Jews as well. And we’ll have to keep
on being Jews, but then, we’ll want to
be. God has never deserted our people.
Through the ages Jews have had to
suffer, but through the ages they’ve
gone on living, and the centuries of
suffering have only made them
stronger” (4/11/44).
In several entries, Anne discusses her
parents’ marital difficulties.
The view from the attic window
Tombstone for Anne and Margot at
the Bergen-Belsen Memoral site
The Frank family  11
A Play Revisited: The Diary of Anne Frank
in the 1997 Broadway Production
by Matt Sciple
Diary of a Young Girl: An Instant Classic
In 1952, Doubleday published the first American edition of Anne Frank:
The Diary of a Young Girl; this translation included cuts that Otto Frank
and the original European publishers had made. The novelist, Meyer
Levin, wrote a front page essay, “The Child Behind the Secret Door,” for
The New York Times Book Review proclaiming the importance of the
work: "Anne Frank's diary is too tenderly intimate a book to be frozen
with the label 'classic' and yet no other designation serves…. Anne Frank's
voice becomes the voice of six million vanished Jewish souls." The response was enormous, and 45,000 copies were sold within a short time.
   The Road to the Stage
With the instant success of the book producers, theatrical agents and others were anxious to
gain rights to produce a play or film based on Anne Frank’s diary. Meyer Levin, who had
done so much to promote the book, wrote a play based on Anne’s diary and brought it to Otto
Frank and Doubleday to produce. Through a series of complicated events, which are still in
dispute, Levin was turned down. For decades, Levin continued to argue that his play, because
it was less sanitized than the Broadway version and because it kept Anne’s Jewishness
central to the story, was a more authentic adaptation of the diary. When Levin’s version of the
script was rejected by several producers, it strengthened Otto Frank’s determination to
accentuate the universal elements of Anne’s story.
(See Meyer Levin, The Obsession, 1973). For two differing analyses of this controversy and the role of  playwright Lillian
Hellman and others, see An Obsession with Anne Frank, Meyer Levin and the Diary,  Lawrence Graver, (Univ. of Ca. Press,
1996) and The Stolen Legacy of Anne Frank: Meyer Levin, Lillian  Hellman, and The Staging of the Diary, Ralph Melnick,
(Yale Univ. Press, 1997).
Hollywood Screenwriters Hired to Adapt the Diary
Since the original Diary of a Young Girl was first published, it has been surrounded by
controversy. Otto Frank’s decision to stress the story’s optimism and its universality left many
Jewish readers feeling cheated. This feeling grew with the diary’s theatrical adaptation. In
addition to being non-Jews, Goodrich and Hackett, the husband and wife playwriting team
assigned to dramatize Anne’s story, were the screenwriters of popular Hollywood fare like
The Thin Man and It’s a Wonderful Life. Goodrich and Hackett worked with playwright
Lillian Hellman, Garson Kanin (the production’s director), and Otto
Frank on their adaptation. Among other changes, their play removed
many details about the Frank family’s Jewishness. “The fact that in this
play the symbols of persecution are Jews is incidental,” said Garson
Kanin. Otto Frank himself was quoted as saying, “It is not a Jewish
book. So do not make a Jewish play out of it.” Though their first drafts
emphasized the mischievous side of Anne’s personality, the final version
emphasized her optimism and idealism. Goodrich and Hackett, along
with Kanin, visited the annex with Otto Frank, who answered their
many questions about the annex and those who had hidden there.
“It is not a Jewish book.
So do not make a Jewish
play out of it.”        ~Otto  12
The Diary of Anne Frank: 1955
On October 5, 1955, The Diary of Anne Frank opened on Broadway starring Joseph
Schildkraut as Otto Frank and Susan Strasberg as Anne. Praise for the production was
widespread. The play went on to win the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, as well as three Tony
Awards, including Best Play of the 1955-56 Season. The Diary of Anne Frank eventually
played a total of 717 performances on Broadway before being produced throughout America
and the world in professional and amateur theaters. Brooks Atkinson in The New York Times
called the play “tender, rueful, moving drama. It’s strange how the shining spirit of a young
girl now dead can filter down through the years and inspire a group of theatrical professionals
in a foreign land.” New York Herald Tribune drama critic Walter Kerr wrote, “Frances
Goodrich and Albert Hackett have fashioned a wonderfully sensitive narrative out of the real
life legacy left us by a spirited and straightforward Jewish girl. A play that is - for all its
pathos – as bright and shining as a banner.”
Anne’s Legacy: A “Universal, Idealistic Figure”
“As bright and shining as a banner,” “warm,” “tender” – these became descriptions not only
of the play, but of Anne Frank. The words, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people
are good at heart” (lifted out of context), encapsulated the image of Anne Frank as a universal, idealistic figure. The play was the first popularization of the events of the Holocaust. As
such, it was very much a product of its time; it embraced a sense of assimilation and universalism. In 1959, the film version starring Millie Perkins as Anne Frank was directed by George
Stevens.
A New Diary
In 1995, The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition was published.
This edition restored the diary entries that Otto Frank and the original
publishers had removed which dealt with Anne’s honest feelings toward
her family, her burgeoning womanhood, and her reflections on her Judaism and the Holocaust. The Chicago Tribune praised, “The new edition
reveals a new depth to Anne’s dreams, irritations, hardship and passions.”
Inspired to Revive and Revise a Classic
The advent of the 1995 edition, and the new entries and nuances of Anne’s character that were
revealed in The Definitive Edition, prompted producers David Stone and Amy Nederlander-
Caase to re-examine the play based on the diary. “It struck me and Amy like a light bulb
going off,” said David Stone. “This is such a wonderful play, but with all this new material,
we thought this would be a terrific opportunity to take a fresh look. After all, it had not been
done on Broadway in 42 years, since the original production.”
With this exciting idea in mind, Stone and Nederlander-Case discussed their artistic team:
who would be the best to bring the play back to Broadway? They approached James Lapine to
be the director, the one who pulls the different artistic aspects of the production together and
sets the tone for the play. Lapine was impressed and moved when Stone showed him a tape of
the Oscar-winning documentary, Anne Frank Remembered, and decided to take on the project.  13
The Diary of Anne Frank: 1997
For the challenging job of adapting the new production by interweaving the newly published
entries with the 1955 play, Wendy Kesselman was chosen. Lapine knew her work; she had
written a great deal about World War II and the Holocaust, and read deeply about that time
period. Her play, I Love You, I Love You Not, was about the relationship between a girl and
her grandmother, a survivor of Auschwitz . Most of all, she felt a great responsibility to the
material.
As the work on the play began, all agreed that they were not creating a new play, so much as
enhancing the 1955 version with the newly published material. “We’re bringing Anne to the
surface,” said Nederlander-Case. When Otto Frank edited the diary for its first publication,
the world had not even begun to heal from the horrors of World War II, so he took out many
of her references to the war and the Holocaust and about Judaism. He removed Anne’s
references to other inhabitants of the annex, to her mother, and to her own sexuality. Stone
and Nederlander-Case were excited about restoring these lost feelings and thoughts, of
presenting a more complete portrait of Anne. “Usually when you say you’re going to produce
a revival,” said Nederlander-Case, “someone asks you, ‘How are you going to update it?’
Well, we don’t have to update it, we have to take some of the constraints off of it. We all feel
as if we are unwrapping the story.”
Reading the original diary from the Critical Edition, Kesselman was struck at “what a
wonderful writer Anne was,” and was determined to make Anne’s words the center of the
new adaptation: “I’m so moved by her writing – I really want her words to shine.” Kesselman
felt she had been “given a great gift, and a great responsibility: “I want to be true to Anne and
to all of them, really. It’s very thrilling.”
Striving for Authenticity
The 1997 production’s artistic standing placed more
emphasis on authenticity as well. Many were
Jewish, including Klesselman, Lapine, and their
new Anne, Natalie Portman, who was born in Israel,
the granddaughter of two concentration camp survivors. Other Holocaust survivors were consulted for
the production, including the mother of set designer
Adrianne Lobel. With history looking over their
shoulders and in their midst, the producers and
artists set out to tell Anne’s “real” story, to reclaim
her Jewishness and show some of the less flattering
aspects of her personality. They did not disparage
the intentions of the original production. “It was
fine then,” director James Lapine stated. “It took the
sensitivities of the period into consideration. But we
could not do the same play now.”  The 1997 Broadway production of The Diary of
Anne Frank, starred Natalie Portman, who was born
in Israel, and is the granddaughter of two
concentration camp survivors.    14
How the New Play is Different
Since the publishing of The Definitive Edition of Anne’s diary and the release of the Oscarwinning documentary Anne Frank Remembered, her legacy is being reexamined. A large part
of that legacy, The Diary of Anne Frank, has been rewritten to reflect the complexity of
Anne’s character, her Jewishness and the tragedy of her story. The 1997 version of the play is
more tough minded than its predecessor, replacing the climatic sound effects of voices and
offstage violence with the physical entrance of Nazi storm troopers into the annex. Hitler’s
voice is heard on a radio broadcast, as are the sounds of speeding trains. Anne’s recorded
diary readings include the expression of her anger at Mrs. Frank and passages relating to her
sexual awakening. This version of the play also dispenses with Goodrich and Hackett’s
framing device, in which Otto Frank returns to the annex with Miep Gies. It begins with the
Franks’ arrival and ends with Mr. Frank recounting the last sighting of Anne shortly before
her death by her friend Hanneli. She is seen through barbed wire, “naked, her head shaved,
covered with lice. ‘I don’t have anybody anymore,’ she weeps, not knowing that her father is
alive.”
(Excepted from Bernard Hammelburg’s article, “A Fresh Look at ‘Anne Frank’ in Search of the Historical One” which
appeared in The New York Times on November 30, 1997)
When tampering with a classic, it is impossible to avoid criticism. The 1997 production of
The Diary of Anne Frank was not as successful commercially or critically as its predecessor.
Though most reviewers agreed that some modification of the original was necessary, they felt
that the new adaptors went too far in the opposite direction. By making explicit Anne’s final
fate and the Nazi presence, this version did all the work for the audience; what the play gained
in accuracy, it lost in subtlety. Now that the issues of authenticity have been raised, the
responsibility will fall on new producers of the play to supplement the virtues of the original
with new material without destroying what made it popular in the first place.
This article is expanded from material once found on the official website of the 1997 Broadway production of The Diary of
Anne Frank (no longer on the web).
See also:
“Dark at the Top of the Stairs” by Nancy Franklin in The New Yorker magazine, December 15, 1997.;“Who Owns Anne
Frank” by Cynthia Ozick in the October 6, 1997 issue of The New Yorker; “Restoring the Identity of Anne Frank” by Richard
Bernstein, New York Times, reprinted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday, January 1, 1999.  15
Judaism and Jewish Culture in the Play
by Cheryl Ann Hornstein, Freelance Arts Educator
For Discussion or Writing:
In the play The Diary of Anne Frank, there are very few examples of Jewish religious
tradition or cultural practice. Even though the story is about Jews, the audience rarely sees
them involved in the rich and beautiful traditions of Judaism. The best example of Jewish
tradition in the play can be found in Act I, Scene 5, the Hanukkah celebration. The scene
begins with Mr. Frank reciting the three blessings over the Hanukkah candles. The version
used in the play is a good translation of the Hebrew blessings.
Instructions:
Read the attached article titled An Explanation of the Holiday of Hanukkah, then re-read Act
I, Scene 5 of the play. The following questions and activities relate to these materials. As you
think about your answers, remember that the play was written in post World War II America,
primarily for non-Jewish American audiences.
 1. In the play, after Mr. Frank recites the blessings over the candles. Mrs. Frank then
 reads Psalm 121. While this is a psalm from the Old Testament (and therefore part
 of Jewish liturgy), it is not a regular part of a Hanukkah celebration. Why do you
 think the playwrights included this particular psalm?
 2. The play spends an entire scene showing Anne distributing her presents to
  everyone. As mentioned in the article, gift giving was not the dominant tradition in
 1940s Europe at Hanukkah time. Why do you think the playwrights describe the
 gift-giving scene in such detail? What does it reveal about Anne’s character? What
 does it reveal about the other characters in the scene?
 3. In what ways does the Hanukkah scene reflect Christmas customs as they are
  celebrated in the U. S.? Why would the playwrights change the Hanukkah rituals
 in this way (i.e. the lyrics of the song, using Psalm 121 and the emphasis on gift
 giving)?
 4. The families were hiding in the annex for almost two years, and yet, the play only
 shows them celebrating Hanukkah, rather than one of the more important holidays
 on the Jewish calendar such as Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), Passover
 (which commemorates the Jews’ freedom from Egyptian rule), or Yom Kippur
 (the Day of Atonement). Why did the playwrights choose Hanukkah instead of
 the other holidays? Why did they show only one holiday being celebrated over the
 course of two years?
 5. Look through the rest of the play carefully. Are there any other examples of
  religious traditions shown in the play? Compare the play to the diary. Does the
  diary give more examples of the Frank family’s Jewish traditions?  16
 6. Recent productions of the play have included more examples of Jewish traditions
 and more accurately depicted Jewish ritual. Why would a director choose to do
 that? The play is well known and performed in many countries now. How would
 the play’s wide recognition effect what a director chose to include in a production?
 7. Research the historical period and Jewish practices of Holland in the 1930s and
 1940s. Based on what you find in your research and on what you know about a
 present day audience, if you were directing the play, what Jewish traditions might
 you include or not include? Describe how you would use the different songs,
 prayers, blessings or rituals as part of the play. Why would you want to include
 what you have chosen?  17
An Explanation of the Holiday of Hanukkah
by Cheryl Ann Hornstein, Freelance Arts Educator
The historical significance of Hanukkah dates back to the
year 168 BCE. In this year, the Greek ruler of Judea
(which is now modern day Israel), Antiochus IV, took
control of the Temple of Jerusalem from the Jews and
erected statues of Greek gods there. Because of that and
other religious and political persecution, a family named
Maccabee led the Jewish revolt against Antiochus IV.
The Maccabees and their followers eventually seized the
Temple and freed Judea from Greek rule. This was a
great victory and is the basis for Hanukkah being called a
holiday of freedom.
There is a legend associated with the Maccabees’ victory that leads to
many present day Hanukkah traditions. After winning the revolt against
Antiochus, the Maccabees’ first task was to repair the damage done to the
Temple under Greek rule. When the temple had been cleaned and repaired,
it was time to rededicate it to God. For this they needed oil to light the
Eternal Light (a light that was supposed to burn continuously). There was
only enough oil to last for one day, not long enough to prepare more pure
oil. It is said that one of the miracles of Hanukkah is that the oil lasted for
        a full eight days - long enough for more oil to be prepared.
Actual Hanukkah traditions very greatly from country to country, from Jewish religious
tradition (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist), and even from family to
family. In general, the central ritual of Hanukkah is that of lighting the Menorah (also called a
Hanukiah). The Menorah is a candelabra with spaces for nine candles. One of the candles is
usually set apart from the others in some way. It may be higher than, or in front of the other
candles. It is called the Shamas (or “assistant”) candle and it is used to light the others. The
Menorah is lit each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, starting with just one candle on the first
night, and adding one for each night that follows until all candles are lit. This commemorates
the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the “miracle of Hanukkah” according to the
legend. As the candles are lit, the three blessings are sung in Hebrew. It is traditional for
people to cover their heads during the blessings as a sign of respect towards God.
After lighting candles, families might tell stories, play the dreidle game (a
wagering game played with a 4 sided top), and sing songs. It is traditional at
Hanukkah to give “gelt” or coins to the children in the family. It is this tradition
that has changed over time to include the giving of presents, sometimes on each
night, or one big present on the first or last night. In my family, our tradition was
to take turns giving out presents to the other members of the family on each night.
Traditional foods for Hanukkah include potato “latkes” (pancakes) and“sufganiot” (doughnuts).
These foods are eaten because they are fried in oil, once again commemorating the “miracle” of
the oil lasting eight days.
Model of the Second Temple in Jerusalem
Menorah
Dreidle  18
Oh Hanukkah: Comparing the Lyrics in
The Diary of Anne Frank to the Traditional Lyrics
Oh Hanukkah             Oh Hanukkah
(Traditional Version)             (Version in the play)
Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah      Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
Come light the Menorah      The sweet celebration
Let’s have a party       Around the feast we gather
We’ll all dance the hora (a traditional folk dance)   In complete jubilation.
Gather round the table       Happiest of seasons
We’ll give you a treat,       Now is here
Sivivon (Hebrew word for dreidel or top) to play with,   Many are the reasons
Latkes to eat.        For good cheer.
And while we are playing      Together
The candles are burning low,      We’ll weather
One for each night, they shed a sweet light    Whatever tomorrow may bring.
To remind us of days long ago.      So hear us rejoicing,
One for each night, they shed a sweet light    And merrily voicing
To remind us of days long ago.     The Hanukkah song that we sing.
Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages)
 Verse 1               Verse 2
Rock of ages, let our song      Children of the Maccabees,
Praise your saving power.      Whether free or fettered
You, amid the raging foes.      Wake the echoes of the songs,
Were our sheltering tower.      Where you may be scattered.
Furious, they assailed us,      Yours the message cheering,
But your arm availed us.      That the time is nearing
And your word       Which will see
Broke their sword       All people free
When our own strength failed us.     Tyrants disappearing.
 
Questions    
1. Compare the two different versions of the O Hanukkah song in the above-
  mentioned article. What do you notice about them? How are the songs similar?
 How are they different? What is the difference in meaning or theme in each
  version? Why would the playwrights change these words?
 2. The song Maoz Tsur (Rock of Ages) is traditionally sung at Hanukkah and clearly
describes the Jewish people’s fight for freedom and belief in God’s power to help
them achieve their freedom. In some  ways, the lyrics of this song more closely
 illustrate the plight of the people hiding in the Secret Annex than the lyrics in O
 Hanukkah. Why do you think the playwrights chose not to use this song as part of the
play?  19
Hanukkah from The Diary of Anne Frank
Yiddish Folk Song 20
What it Was Like to Live in the Annex?
Interdisciplinary Activities and Discussion
by Cheryl Ann Hornstein, Freelance Arts Educator
Special Tools and Materials:
You will need an accurate floorplan of the Secret Annex at #263 Prinsengracht and a copy of  
the set diagram (See attached diagrams from the back of the play script with dimensions
marked. The set diagram and floor plan are both drawn on a 1/8"=1' scale), colored tape,
measuring tapes and/or yard sticks, rulers with 1/8" markings, classroom desks and chairs,
and a space big enough to tape out the diagrams on the floor in their actual size.
1. Examine and Imagine the Attic (Thinking/Writing Skills)
    First, have the students look at the diagram of the Secret Annex and try to imagine what it
    was like to live in such a small space for almost two years. You may want them to write a
    journal entry about it.
2. Figure out the Dimensions (Theatre/Math Skills)
    Now have them look at the set floorplan diagrams on page 23 for both the 1955 Broadway
    production and the Park Square production. Most set designs for the play use a space that is
    larger than the actual annex because the set designer has to make sure that all members of
    the audience can see everything that happens on stage. Discuss how the theatrical design
    captures the cramped nature of the actual annex. Using rulers have students figure out how
    big the annex was in square feet; then do the same for the set diagram. Are they similar in
    size? Which rooms in the annex are different in size as compared to how the sizes are
    depicted on the set diagram?
3. Tape Down the Floor Plan of the Annex (Math/Design Skills)
    Using the tape, tape measures and yardsticks, work as a class to tape out the diagram of the
    annex on the floor in its actual size. (See diagram on page 22.) Then use classroom desks
    and chairs to simulate furniture in the space. Try to create “beds” for eight people, as well
    as a main dining table, stove and sink. Leave space for the washing room with toilet.
4. Imagine Life in the Annex by Improvising Scenes (Acting Skills)
    To get a sense of what the annex felt like, have students walk through the space a few at a
    time, making sure they know where things are.
    Once you have created the space and walked around in it, assign students to act out the
    roles of each of the characters in the play. Improvise the following scenes, staying
    inside the lines of the annex space:
     
 a.  Anne having a disagreement with her sister and her mother about doing her studies.
 b.  Mr. & Mrs. Van Daan arguing about Peter’s cat in their room.
 c.  Peter, Anne, Margot and Mr. Frank conducting their lessons while Mrs. Frank and
      Mrs. Van Daan are cooking a meal.
 d.  Anne writing in her diary while Margot practices her French lesson aloud.
 e.  Anne having a nightmare while Mr. Dussel is trying to sleep.
 f.  Mr. Dussel checking people’s teeth while the young people are playing cards.
 g.  Anne begging Peter to let her hold Mushi .  21
     h.  Margot trying to take down a letter for Mr. Van Daan.
           i.  Mrs. Van Daan and Mrs. Frank arguing over whether to use 4 or 8 potatoes for  
          their dinner.
      j.  Mr. Dussel checking one of Mrs. Frank’s teeth.
    Now, to make it closer to what living in the annex may have been like, try to run 2-4
    Scenes from g-j simultaneously.
5. Reflect on this Experience (Language Arts Skills/Observation)
    Stop for a few minutes and discuss what happened. Did people raise their voices? Did
    arguments get heated more quickly when there were simultaneous scenes? Be sure to point
    out things that they wouldn’t have been able to do in the annex for fear of being heard, such
    as shout, slam doors, walk heavily, wear shoes, etc.
6. Create a List of Annex Rules (Discussion/Writing/Leadership Skills)
    With the class, create a list of “Annex Rules” that the families would have had to follow.
    Take into consideration noise levels, movement in the space, who might overhear them, use
    of the toilet or sink, use of running water, disposal of trash and garbage.
7. Make it a Game (Acting Skills)
    Now, repeat one of the scenes created in #4 making sure the “actors” follow the “Annex
    Rules” created by the class. You may want to make a game out of it; teams lose points for
    breaking the rules. Eight “actors” play each round, the rest of the class observes and keeps
    score.
8. Create Text (Directing/Playwriting Skills)
    Now repeat steps 1-5 using the set diagram. Tape it out on the floor, have students walk
    around in it for a little while, improvising some scenes. Discuss what changed. What things
    were easier to do in the theatrical space? What things were easier to do in the “real” space?
    Using the set design space, have students play several of the improvised scenes
    simultaneously (not scenes that double characters), but trying to have each scene still be
    understandable to the audience (the rest of the class). Discuss what changes the actors need to
    make in order for their scene to proceed without distracting from the other scenes. Is it
    possible to change focus from scene to scene and back again, and still have everything make
    sense? Have the students modify their scenes so the focus can shift easily. Assign several
    students to function as scribes. Have the scribes write down the dialogue that is created
    during the improvisations. Later, you may choose to edit the scenes and type them into script
    form.  22
The Secret Annex – Dimensions and Layout  23
Set Floorplans for Stage Productions of The Diary of Anne Frank
Set diagram for 1955 production designed by Kermit Bloomgarden
Set diagram for Park Square Theatre production designed by Gabriel Backlund in 1999.
Scale of drawings: 1/8” = 1 ft
23  24
Photos of the Secret Annex
A view of the back exterior of the
annex
Entrance to secret annex, hidden
behind a bookcase
Staircase leading to the attic
The kitchen in the annex  The attic
The wall in Anne’s room  25
The Holocaust: How Could it Happen?
Ingroup/Outgroup Differentiation
by Tom Brandt, Osseo Schools
Stage One: Definition
The Holocaust was not an accident; it was intentional. It was a well-planned attempt to kill
every Jew in the world. The Holocaust was so terribly effective because it took advantage of
people’s  prejudice (a positive or negative opinion or  feeling formed without knowledge,
thought, or reason). Prejudice allowed Nazi leaders to proceed to the definition stage.
  1. How were Jews “defined”?
 2. Why were Jews and non-Jews prepared to accept these definitions?
 3. How were these definitions reinforced?
 4. What laws were created to legalize these definitions?
 5. What identification did these laws require of Jews?
Definition Activity: In-group/Out-group Differentiation
On a piece of paper, draw two concentric circles, one inside the other. In the smaller circle
write “in-group” (other people you recognize as being like you). Next, write down in this
circle words that describe your in-group. In the larger circle, write “out-groups.” Then, write
in the larger circle the groups of people you consider different than your in-group.
1. Rank the out-groups you have listed from most different to least different from your
 in-group. What factors did you use to order the out-groups?
2. Explain ways your in-group is “better” than the least different out-group. How do you
    establish and reinforce your superiority?
3. Describe how your in-group is “threatened” by the most different out-group.
4. Write a “legal” description of the most different out-group.
5. Write a “legal” description of your in-group.
Stage Two: Expropriation
Once prejudice defines a group, discrimination (prejudice in action) may occur.
Discrimination was the driving force behind expropriation, taking away the rights, property,
and livelihood of Jews.
To the teacher:
This worksheet may be used in a variety of ways: photocopy and distribute the entire
worksheet or select specific Learn and Discuss questions for class discussion, or facilitate the
In-group/Out-group Differentiation activity.
Learn
And
Discuss  26
 1. How did the definition stage encourage and enable expropriation?
 2. How did non-Jews benefit from expropriation?
 3. How did existing government agencies enable the Nazi leadership to
  expropriate the property and livelihood of the Jews?
 4. Where has expropriated Jewish property been discovered recently?
   5. How did Jews react to expropriation?
Stage Three: Concentration
As discrimination increased, it was no longer sufficient to take away what Jews owned. In the
third phase, concentration, Nazi leaders removed and isolated Jews from the broader society.
 1. How did the earlier phases enable concentration?
 2. Why did Nazi laws remove Jews from society and concentrate them
  together?
 3. What were ghettos?
 4. How did concentration make violence toward the Jews easier?
   5. Why and how did Jewish leaders comply with Nazi authorities?
Stage Four: Annihilation
The first three stages of the Holocaust - definition, expropriation, and concentration - were not
inevitable. At any state, the German people could have decided not to obey and enforce the
laws created by the Nazi leaders. They did not, and the Holocaust moved to the last stage,
annihilation, the large scale killing of Jews and other citizens the Nazis designated as
“undesirables.”
 1. Who is responsible for allowing the annihilation of Jews?
 2. What other groups were subject to annihilation?
 3. What made the annihilation of Jews possible?
 4. How did bystanders rationalize annihilation?
   5. How did perpetrators rationalize annihilation?
Learn
And
Discuss
Learn
And
Discuss
Learn
And
Discuss 27
Who Is Responsible?
If you were a judge, how would you assess the responsibility of the individuals or groups
listed below for what happened in the world between 1933 and 1945?
____ 1. Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of Germany
____ 2. One of Hitler’s direct subordinates, such as Heinrich Himmler or Joseph Goebbels
____ 3. A judge who carried out Hitler’s decrees for sterilization of the “mentally
  incompetent” and internment of “traitors”
____ 4. A doctor who participated in sterilization of Jews
____ 5. A factory owner who made enormous profits by producing Zyklon B gas
____ 6. A worker in a plant producing Zyklon B gas
____ 7. The American government, which limited emigration of Jews to the United States  
   in the 1930s
____ 8. American factory owners who made profits in the 1930s producing weapons for
Adolf Hitler
____ 9. A person who always respectfully gave the “Heil Hitler” salute
____10. A person who agreed to publicly take the Civil Servant Loyalty Oath (swearing
   eternal allegiance to Adolf Hitler)
____11. Parents who allowed their children to attend Hitler Youth meetings
____12. Children who joined the Hitler Youth
____13. A person who served as a concentration camp guard
____14. A person who refused to participate in the hiding or smuggling of Jews
____15. A teacher who taught Nazi propaganda in the schools
____16. A Jewish ghetto leader appointed by the Nazis
____17. A Jewish prisoner who made weapons in the German weapons industry
____18. A Jewish father who decided his family would report for deportation rather than
   attempt to hide or escape
A. No responsibility   B. Little responsibility   C. Responsible  D. Very responsible  28
Review your assessments of responsibility. List two individuals or groups who were very
responsible.
1.
2.
What actions made these individuals or groups very responsible?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Decide on a just sentence for one of the very responsible individuals or groups and explain
why this sentence is appropriate.
List two individuals or groups who had little responsibility
1.
2.
What actions made these individuals or groups less responsible?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Decide on a just sentence for one of the individuals or groups with little responsibility and
explain why this sentence is appropriate.  29
Forget Me Not: A Film and Activity Personalizing the Holocaust
The Film
Forget Me Not: The Anne Frank Story is a fictionalized account of Anne Frank’s life in hiding,
not a dramatization of her diary. In the movie a young, neo-Nazi man on a school field trip to a
Holocaust museum is assigned Anne Frank’s passport to journey through the museum and finds
himself magically transported into the streets of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam in the year 1944—
as a Jew. He meets Anne Frank and discovers the true meaning of the word hero. See the annotated bibliography for information on ordering this film.
The Biographical Cards
Page 30 of this study guide contains biographical cards for learning about victims and
survivors of the Holocaust. These cards and further information are available at
www.graceproducts.com. Each card has a picture of a child of the Holocaust. When students
click on the name of the child in the photos, they find a one page history describing the fate of
this child during the Holocaust. These may be copied for use in the classroom. Just as Anne
Frank’s story gives a name and a face to the Holocaust, each of these cards gives a personal
story that can make the horror of millions of people killed by the Nazis into more than a set of
grim
statistics.
Biographical Card Activities
1. Direct students to study a photograph from a card and write a paragraph describing the
      person. Ask students to intuit feelings and experiences based on what they see in the picture.
      The objective is to increase student sensitivity to the person in the photo before learning of
      his/her fate.
2. Direct students to brainstorm imaginary experiences from the past and possible desires for
the future that they have in common with the child studied in step one. Ask students to write
a letter to the child, using details from the brainstorming activity.
3. Direct students to access Grace Products Home Page (www.graceproducts.com) and
      retrieve biographical information about their child’s actual fate. An example of this
      biographical information can be found on the following page.  30
Sample of website information
Courtesy of the Archives of Simon Wiesenthal Center
Children of the Holocaust
Natan Abbe
Born 1924 in Lodz, Poland
Natan, the son of Carola and Israel Abbe, grew up in Lodz, Poland. His
father owned a haberdashery store, where he sold hats, gloves, and other
accessories. He had two sisters and a younger brother. A large, fairly
liberal city, Lodz was home to over 233,000 Jews. It was a major center
of the textile industry. Its diverse population of Jews, Poles, and Germans
lived together in relative peace.
When the Germans occupied Lodz in September 1939, Natan was a fifteen year-old schoolboy.
Anti-Jewish restrictions were immediately enacted. Jews were forbidden to congregate for
religious services, they were subject to curfew, their radios were confiscated, and they were
forced to wear the yellow star. In addition, Jews were barred from most professions, and all
Jewish communal institutions were ordered to disband.
On February 8, 1940, all the Jews were forced to live in a run-down part of the city. On May 1,
1940, the overcrowded ghetto was closed off.
Living conditions were horrendous. There was no heat, little food or medicine, and inadequate
sanitation. People fell dead in the street from starvation, disease, and exposure. Still, the basic
appearance of normal inner-city life was maintained. Schools and hospitals still functioned.
The Germans constantly harassed the Jewish residents of the ghetto, randomly seizing people
on the streets, raiding their apartments, and subjecting them to horrendous indignities. People
were shot for the slightest reason. Young children often became the sole support of their
families. They would smuggle themselves out of the ghetto in order to find food and bring it
back to their starving parents, brothers, and sisters.
Natan was shot to death in late 1940 by a German soldier at the ghetto gate.  He was sixteen
years old.
Natan was one of 105 million Jewish children murdered by the Germans and their collaborators
during the Holocaust.
 
www.graceproducts.com/fmnc/anatan.htm
Grace Productions
1771 International Pkwy., Suite 111
Richardson, TX, 75081-1831
Toll-Free 1-800-527-4014
feedback@graceproductions.com  31
Forget Me
No t C a r d
For The Personal
Story of
Natan Abbe
access
www.graceproducts.com
Grace Products Corp.
(800) 527-4014
Courtesy of :
Archives of Simon Wiesenthal Center
Forget Me
No t C a r d
For The Personal
Story of
Emmanuel Alper
access
www.graceproducts.com
Grace Products Corp.
(800) 527-4014
Courtesy of :
Forget Me
No t C a r d
For The Personal
Story of
Hans Ament
access
www.graceproducts.com
Grace Products Corp.
(800) 527-4014
Courtesy of :
Forget Me
No t C a r d
For The Personal
Story of
Inge Auerbacher
access
www.graceproducts.com
Grace Products Corp.
(800) 527-4014
Courtesy of :
Forget Me
No t C a r d
For The Personal
Story of
Ulrich Wolfgang
Arnheim
access
www.graceproducts.com
Grace Products Corp.
(800) 527-4014
Courtesy of :
Archives of Simon Wiesenthal Center
Forget Me
No t C a r d
For The Personal
Story of
Sura Andrezejko
access
www.graceproducts.com
Grace Products Corp.
(800) 527-4014
Courtesy of :  32
Classroom Activity Ideas for The Diary of Anne Frank
1. The Geography of Anne Frank: Using a map of Europe, find the major locations for the
    events in the drama of Anne Frank: Amsterdam, Auschwitz concentration camp,
    Frankfurt, Germany. Do this as a library research project. Find a map of Amsterdam and  
    Locate Anne’s home, the Secret Annex, Jewish Secondary, and the train stations she  
    would have left from.
2. What Would You Take With You?: Bring a bag of things from home that you would  
    take with you if you had to go into hiding for two years. The things you bring must fit in a
    grocery bag. Share your items with a group of four classmates. After discussing the items  
    you selected and why, combine the groups’ belongings into just one bag. Together with
    your four separate bags, make one bag from all of your items. This just means you will
    only be able to take ¼ of your original items. Prioritize. How do you decide who can take
    what? How do you think Anne felt trying to choose what to bring into hiding? How does
    this exercise help you to better understand any characters in the play?
3. The Sound-Free Zone: Create a “sound-free zone” in your classroom to duplicate
    conditions for being in hiding. In other words, no one is allowed to talk and you must act
    as though someone is listening at the walls. Then discuss as a class your thoughts and
    feelings during the “silent time.”
4. Cameo Interview/Role Playing: Pretend you are one of the characters in the play and that
    you are being interviewed on a popular television program. Someone could be Anne,
    someone Peter, etc. Students need to prepare for their roles and should be given some
    specific questions ahead of time that the class will ask. Questions asked may reflect a  
    knowledge of the historical events and attitudes of the times. There could be a panel of  
    students acting as different characters from the play, and the interviews could be set up  
    like a talk show. The students conducting the interviews could play Barbara Walters,
    Oprah, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Tom Brokaw, or Tyra Banks, etc. Students could dress
    in costume of the 1940s and a video recorder may be used so the interviews could be
    played back to the class.
5. Make a Scale Model: Using the floor plan and the photo of the model of the annex
    included in this study guide, make a three dimensional model of the Frank’s hiding place.
    Select ¼” or ½” scale. Use cardboard, Popsicle sticks, doll furniture, modeling clay,
    thimbles, buttons – to create one of the rooms or one of the floors of the attic.
6. Create a Tribute to or Portrait of Anne Frank: Select quotes from the diary, photos of
    Anne and photos of the places she lived. Write about her or write letters to her. Draw a
    portrait of her. Find words others have said to her or about her and create a collage,
    multimedia poster, website, powerpoint presentation, or piece of artwork which is a tribute
    to Anne, her youth, her confinement, her influence, or her ideals.  33
Writing Topics for The Diary of Anne Frank
1. Take a passage from Anne’s diary and write the
      same events over from Margot’s point of view or
      Peter’s point of view. Remember to change the
      attitude and vocabulary to fit the character’s traits
      as you observe them in the play.
2. Write a diary entry describing a stressful
      experience in your life. Describe in detail how
 you behaved and how those around you reacted to
 your behavior.
 3.  Take a diary entry of your own and turn it into a
      scene.
 4.  Write a letter or series of letters to Anne Frank as if
      she were your best friend and still alive.
5. What do Holden Caufield, the main character of  
      Catcher in the Rye, and Anne Frank have in
      common? How are they alike? How are they
      different? Both of them comment on the adult world.  
      Write a scene where these two converse.
6.  If this diary had been written by Mrs. Frank, would it have been so well received?
 Discuss this question in writing, supporting your claims with examples from the play
 or rewrite a scene using Mrs. Frank’s point of view.
 7.  Put yourself in Anne’s place. Write about what you would miss most if you had to go
      into hiding.
 8.  Pretend you are either Anne or Peter. Write a letter to Jopie or to another friend about
      what life in hiding is like. In order to organize yourself before you start writing, list
      several topics you want to include. The topics might be how you spend your day, how
      your relationships with people have changed, and so forth.
 9.  O.S. Marden has written, “There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no  
      tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.” Write about hope. Think about
      a time when you or someone you know faced a difficult situation. What part did hope play
      in the situation? When did the characters become hopeful? What made them so? Who was
      the most hopeful person? Who was the least hopeful? What enables people who face
      difficult circumstances to have hope for the future? How do the characters in The Diary of
      Anne Frank express hope throughout the play?
Anne Frank at her desk at the Merwedeplein
in Amsterdam   34
10. Imagine your district’s school board is considering eliminating The Diary of Anne Frank
      from your school’s curriculum because they feel the Holocaust and the issues surrounding  
      it are in the past. Write a letter to the president of the school board or to the editor of your
      local paper in which you explain why you feel it is vital that the play based on Anne
      Frank’s diary is read and performed regularly today.
11. Write a brief history of European Anti-Semitism. Research why and how Hitler targeted
the Jews as scapegoats for his regime.
12.  Research and write an essay on German attitudes towards Jews today compared with
  attitudes during WWII.
13. If you were to meet a survivor of the Holocaust, what would you say to him or her? What
questions would you ask?
14. Pretend you are a member of an international committee researching how to prevent
crimes against humanity like the Holocaust from happening again. Write a proposal
explaining procedures, policies, and programs that should be implemented.
15. If you had to leave your house suddenly, as the Frank family did, what would you take  
      with you and why?
16. Write an essay about acts of prejudice that you’ve witnessed or heard about in your
 school or community.  35
About Anne Frank: An Annotated Bibliography of Resources
Anne Frank’s Writings
The Diary of a Young Girl. The Difinitive Edition. Frank, Annen. Edited by Otto H. Frank & Mirjam
Pressler; translated by Susan Massotty. 1
st
 ed. in U.S.A. New York: Doubleday, 1995.
Edition contains diary entries that were omitted from the original edition, including
 Anne’s questions about her own sexuality and herdisagreements with her mother.
The Diary of a Young Girl. The Critical Edition. Frank, Anne. Prepared by the Netherlands State
Institute for War Documentation; compiled by H. J. J. Hardy; edited by David Barnouw and Gerrold Van Der
Stroom; translated by Arnold Pomerans and B. M. Mooyaart. 1
st
 ed. New York: Doubleday, 1989.
Anne Frank’s Tales from the Secret Annex Translated by Ralph Manheim and Michael Mok. Garden
City, NJ: Doubleday, 1959. Adult & Young Adult.
 A collection of her lesser-known writings, including short stories, fables, personal
 reminiscences, previously deleted excerpts from her diary, and an unfinished novel
 composed while she was hiding from the Nazis during World War II.
Nonfiction (Including Biography)
Readings on The Diary of a Young Girl. Edited by Myra H. Immell. Greenhaven Press, 1998. 144p.
Greenhaven Press Literary Companion to World Literature. Grades 8-10.
 A compilation of 15 essays that address the important themes in the diary and critical
 assessments of it.
Anne Frank, Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance. Rol, Ruud van der. By Ruud van
der Rol and Rian Verhoeven in association with Anne Frank House; translated by Tony Langham and Plym
Peters. New York: Viking, 1993. Juvenile biography/pictorial work. Grades 5 and up.
 Photographs, illustrations, and maps accompany historical essays, diary excerpts, and
 interviews, providing an insight to Anne Frank and the massive upheaval which tore
 apart her world.
A Scholarly Look at the Diary of Anne Frank. Bloom, Harold. Chelsea House, 1999.
 A comparison of the three versions of Anne Frank’s diary; Anne’s original entries,
 including never-before-published material; the diary as she herself edited it while in
 hiding; and the best-known version, edited by her father.
The Triumphant Spirit: Portraits & Stories of Holocaust Survivors … Their Messages of
Hope and Compassion. Del Calzo, Nick. Denver: Triumphant Spirit Publishing, 1997.  167p.
 This “picture book” presents the stories of 92 Holocaust survivors who share their
 experiences in their own words. Each story is a unique account of their luck,
 determination, devotion, and survival. A contemporary photograph of each survivor
 accompanies his or her story. A powerful reminder of how precious freedom is, how
 enduring is the human spirit, and how deadly is intolerance.   36
Light from the Yellow Star: Lesson of Love from the Holocaust. Fisch, Robert O. Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota, 1994. 34p.
 Fisch, a pediatrician at the University of Minnesota, artist, and Holocaust survivor,
 presents a narrative of his experience in a Nazi concentration camp through eloquent
 paintings and prose. Quotations used throughout the book are from gravestones in the
 memorial concentration camp cemetery in Budapest where the author’s father is
 buried. The author’s paintings are simple but powerful.
Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Women Who Helped Hide the Frank Family.
Gies, Miep and Alison L. Gold. pa. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1988.
 Gies’s recollections of the sheltering of the Frank family in a secret annex in their
 Amsterdam office building. Review at Barnes & Noble.
Roses from the Earth: The Biography of Anne Frank. Lee, Carol Ann. London: Viking, 1999.
297p.
An authoritative biography which includes new material, including previously
 unpublished letters from new evidence about who betrayed her.
The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank. Lindwer, Willy. Paperback. Anchor. Adult biography.
The “unwritten” final chapter of Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl tells the story
of the time between Anne Frank’s arrest and her death from the testimony of six
 Jewish women who survived the hell from which Anne Frank never returned.
Periodicals
“Restoring the Identity of Anne Frank.” Bernstein, Richard. New York Times (reprinted in the
Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday, January 1, 1999).
 Briefly summarizes the controversy surrounding Anne Frank’s diary, its theatrical
 adaption by Goodrich and Hackett, and the new Broadway revival.
“Dark at the Top of the Stairs.” Franklin, Nancy. The New Yorker,  December 15, 1997.
 A typically mixed review of the 1997 Broadway revival of The Diary of  Anne Frank.
“A Fresh Look at ‘Anne Frank’ In Search of the Historical One.” Hammelburg, Bernard. Arts
and Leisure section of the Sunday New York Times, November 30, 1997.
Interviews with the artists involved with the 1997 Broadway revival.
“Who Owns Anne Frank?” Ozick, Cynthia. The New Yorker, October 6, 1997.
Provocative essay detailing the controversial editing of Anne Frank’s diary, in
 comparison to the recently published “Definitive Version.” Ozick poses the question,
 “The diary has been distorted by even her greatest champions. Would history have
 been better served if it had been destroyed?” Discussing the original stage adaptation,
 she asks whether Anne’s story should be considered Jewish or universal. This essay
 reignited a firestorm of discussion on these issues and would provide an excellent
 essay or discussion opportunity.  37
Teaching Resources
Anne Frank, The Living Spirit of Hope (in the world 1929-1945); A curriculum for
Middle School Students. Portland, OR: Portland Public School District, 1992.
Understanding Anne Frank’s the Diary of a Young Girl: A Student Casebook to Issues,
Sources and Historical Documents. Kopf, Hedda Rosner.  Greenwood Press, 1997. Grades 7 and up.
 Enriches the diary with historical documents that illuminate the political and social
 context of anti-Semitism in Germany and the Holocaust. Includes chapters on the
 Frank family history, the Jews in Holland, children in the Holocaust and their rescuers,
 and other materials.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Resource Center for Teachers Call (202)
488-6140; (202) 488-6186.
 An introductory packet that includes bibliography, videography, historical summary +
 chronology, information on children in the Holocaust, 6 Artifact Sheet mini-posters
 and a packet of 37 identification cards. Other brochures on the Resistance and other
 victim groups are available.
The University of Minnesota Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Located at the
University of Minnesota in 105 Jones Hall, 612-642-0256, web site location – http://www.chgs.umn.edu,
Stephen Feinstein, director, e-mail feins001@maroon.tc.umn.edu.
 An excellent resource center for teachers and members of the community which pro
 vides books, videos, curricular materials, instructional materials including lesson plans
 and guides, information on regional, national and international conferences and other
 meetings addressing the Holocaust and genocide. The center also houses a Holocaust
 survivors’ interview archive.
Nonprint Media
Anne Frank Remembered. [videocassette]
This Oscar-winner for Best Documentary is adapted from Miep Gies’ book of the
 same name. Using interviews and archival footage, this powerful film tells the story of
 Anne Frank from the perspective of her would-be rescuer.
Anne Frank: The Life of a Young Girl. [videocassette] New York: A&E Home Video;
distributed by New Video Group, 1998, 1998. 50 min.
Biography; video release of the 1996 production.
Forget Me Not: The Anne Frank Story. [film] Fred Holmes, Director, 60 minutes, Grace
Productions Corp; 1996. Contact Grace Products Corporations: 1-800-572-4014; http://www.graceproducts.com.
A young neo-Nazi, on a school trip to a Holocaust museum, is assigned Anne Frank’s
 passport  to journey through the museum and finds himself magically transported to
 the streets of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam in the year of 1944—as a Jew. He meets
 Anne Frank and discovers the true meaning of the word “hero.” This movie is a
 fictionalized account of Anne Frank’s life in hiding, not a dramatization of Anne
 Frank’s diary.  38
For the Living. [videocassette] 60 minutes in length. Washington, D.C.: PBS Video, 1993.
This one-hour documentary chronicles the creation, building and design of the U.S.
 Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. It uses a combination of extraordinary
 archival film footage and photographs, on-location scenes at concentration camps in
 Poland, and insightful interviews with the people involved with the creation and
 construction of this “living memorial.”
I Am Anne Frank. [sound recording] Produced by Michael Cohen; with accompaniment by the
American Symphony Orchestra. New York: Anne Frank Center USA, 1996. 1 compact disc.
Selections from the musical drama, Yours, Anne and the theatrical production, Anne
 Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.
The Anne Frank Internet Guide. Ma, Whee Ky;  http://www-th.phys.rug.nl/~ma/annefrank.html
 An extensive list of resources about Anne Frank (1929-1945). Each site is described
 briefly and rated according to amount and level of information, originality  and design.
 Topic headings include: Anne’s Life, the Diary, and Background Information;
 Biographies; Education, Exhibits, Lectures and Essays; Books, Articles, and Other
 Publications; and Other Media. The guide also includes direct links to each site.
Seth Kramer’s Untitled (Counting Rice). [video cassette]1995, 14 minutes.
 Useful for illustrating the magnitude of the Holocaust. Kramer, a young artist from
 New Jersey, decided to conceptualize the Holocaust by counting 6 million grains of
 rice. This artistically made video with classical and rap music, and countless
 references to numbers and counting, provides a sense of the importance of the subject.
 After ten months of work in 1994, the artist finally reached one million, with the
 grains of rice stored in jars. For FREE TEACHING COPY write: The Regis
 Foundation 7901 Metro Blvd. Minneapolis, MN.

No comments:

Post a Comment