Roosevelt School of the Arts performed The Diary of Anne Frank, a play based on the memoir with the same title, written into a drama by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. The play, directed by Kathryn Koch, ran Oct. 15-24.

The Diary of Anne Frank tells the story of Jewish families during World War II who are forced to abandon their ways of life and hide from the world’s terrors. Iconic hero Anne Frank (Catherine Evangelho, ’14) clutches on to her one means of escape from her life: her diary.

She and her family go into hiding with another Jewish family, and, despite the difficult situation, Anne still acts just like any other teenage girl. Throughout the story, she is able to make the best of her situation. When her family encounters hardships, Anne deals with the stress by writing.

Themes of character and family were brought up in the show, addressing the acceptance of one’s own identity and embracing qualities. In addition, the show recognized the importance of family unity in providing a sense of strength and hope for the future.

When the play began, I automatically noticed the set. Clearly the set designers took time in planning details, which created a visually impressive stage, but did not come across as distracting. It gave the feeling that the audience was in the attic with the families.

The director’s choice of building the entire set so that each room was visible in the attic was a brilliant idea, because it gave the audience the opportunity to see every action of each character. In addition, it allowed the actors to fully embrace the role for the entire performance.

The performers’ actions seemed to be natural responses to the activity around them, instead of being predetermined movements. The director succeeded in testing the capabilities of the actors, in addition to entertaining the audience.

Over the course of the entire play, the acting felt real and genuine. Though every actor did well, Evangelho stood out from the rest as a brilliant performer, even as a freshman. Her movements and voice seemed flawless. She also made the members of the audience feel like they were a part of the play, instead of being distant onlookers.

One of the most unique things about this production was the level of commitment and endurance from the actors. A majority of the actors were on stage for the entire production and did not break out of character for even one second.

The actors dedicated themselves so much to their roles that they continued acting throughout the intermission. They were also able to stay in character without stealing the spotlight from where the important action was taking place.

Though the overall play was an enjoyment, a few areas could use improvement. The actors used headset microphones on stage, which often made the sound either too quiet or too loud. In addition, some actors would breathe into the microphone and create unnecessary noise that distracted from the main dialogue.

Nonetheless, by the end of the play I had completely forgot that it was being performed by high school students; it easily could have been a professional production.

Overall, The Diary of Anne Frank was a success. Each piece of the performance seemed to fit perfectly into the whole production to create a truly inspiring and moving show. With this kind of dramatic excellence, I look forward to returning to Roosevelt’s stage for their production of Aladdin; the winter show is scheduled to run from Jan. 20-30, 2011. For more information, please check out the Roosevelt School of the Arts calendar for date and show times.

For more information, read the April 19 article, Broadway performances astonish audiences.

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