The Diary of Anne Frank: Phoenix Theatre production of this contemporary classic hampered by weak acting.

Reviewed by Kat Fournier.

The story of Anne Frank, humanizing the Holocaust, is one of the greatest modern tragedies.

Director Tim Picotte has used the 1955 award-winning script by American writers Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett to present the dramatization of the young girl’s diary. Moving, yet funny, the play is, at its core, a work of naturalism. Minute, realistic detail is built into the setting, dialogue and character.

The script spans three years in Amsterdam, and opens with a scene three years after the Franks move into their hiding place, following the end of World War II and the evacuation of the concentration camps.

The set, designed by Annemarie Zeyl, is a worn annex of an office building in Amsterdam, now transformed into a small apartment for the Franks and Van Daans. The space comprises a raised “loft” upstage of a central living room, flanked by two closet-sized rooms. The rooms are separated by curtains only, so emphasizing the lack of privacy.

Picotte offers a straightforward interpretation of the script, faithful to the original staging. Unfortunately, the approach lacks the necessary subtlety, resulting in the loss of the richness embedded in the text. The characters, played without the requisite refinement, almost became caricatures.

All are ever-present ― a nod to the reality of the Franks’ living conditions ― and they shuffle through the space in a quiet dance. In this way, their relationships are given space to play out beyond the main action of the play, as they clash, sit together or watch wearily with the lack of privacy weighing on everyone. But the characters are exaggerated, often belligerent, and their emotions are frequently presented in a heavy-handed manner. For example, when they are unhappy, they bend their heads together and become surly, even if they are just a meter away from the target of their scorn.

Life in that confined space makes tempers flare and Anne’s parents (Bill Horsman and Barbara Kobolak) are the moderators in the annex. Their subtle expressions and staid characterizations are enjoyable. Their counterpoints are Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan (Andre Dimitrijevic and Vanessa Cook) whose self-indulgence and spite breed tension and lead to chaos in the confined space.

Vocal training is needed across the board. The actors each rely on out-of-control shrieking to convey any of a myriad of emotions. Worse is the way this lack of vocal control negatively impacts their world; the annex is a hiding place — a place full of fear, where the inhabitants listen nervously to sounds drifting up from the street. Yet the cast loses sight of this whenever tension rises. Not even those outside the argument ever call attention to the fact that they are not allowed to yell, as it will compromise their safety. This lack of reverence for the space ultimately diminishes the overall quality of the production.

The young actors have taken on difficult roles and I applaud their research and commitment. Anne Frank is often seen as a “never-say-die” personality, and Marie-Pier Jean’s portrayal of Anne certainly taps into her tireless spirit, but is perhaps a little too literal in her interpretation of the script’s direction to be mercurial; her liveliness often overpowers the stage. Young Vincent Scattolon, as Peter Van Daan, the son of the family hiding with the Franks, however, shows promise in his more subtle characterization.

The most magical moments, however, occur in the silences between action. Silence, monotony and fear are constant enemies, and that potent silence is woefully under-developed in this production. There are few pauses after uneasy moments or even following distressing admissions. Silences are rushed through, if not entirely avoided.

The Diary of Anne Frank continues at the Gladstone Theatre to April 19.

The Diary of Anne Frank

by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett

Phoenix Theatre

Reviewed by Katharine Fournier

Director: Tim Picotte

Set: Annemarie Zeyl

Sound: David Speck

Lighting; Barry Sims

Costumes: Zhanna Parashchuk

Cast:

Mr. Frank………………………Bill Horsman

Miep……………………………..Kimberley Bateman

Mrs. Van Daan……………….Vanessa Cook

Mr. Van Daan…………………André Dimitrijevic

Peter Van Daan……………….Vincent Scattolon

Mrs. Frank……………………..Barbara Kobolak

Margot Frank………………….Elizabeth Chant

Anne Frank…………………….Marie-Pier Jean

Mr. Kraler……………………….Joel Rahn

Mr. Dussel……………………….Dirk Visbach