The Diary of Anne Frank: Things you won't learn in class

The show is over.  The curtains are closed.  The lights are turned off.  No more fanfare or cast parties.  Gone are the worries of having enough boards to beat every night and sound cues being played at the right moment.  All of this is over.

But...the story is still there.  My heart is still in this place.  Anne's legacy will ALWAYS live on.

Let's turn back the clock.  We were able to perform the show at total of 9 times (well 10, if you count the brush up rehearsal) for an audience.  The first three performances were for the schools.  The schools are reading the book and the thing with the play is that while it is derived from the book, there are some elements that were changed. 

The attendance for the shows was pretty good.  One night it was very low, but that didn't deter our spirits.  In fact, the audience itself was just as responsive as an audience of 140.  Each night, the cast gave it their all.  Some nights were more difficult as everyone was starting to get sick.  Tiredness played a factor in their performing as well.  In fact, one of the days we did the school performances had us doing TWO shows, back to back.  Hardly no break at all.  But my cast and crew pulled thru.  Everything turned out beautifully.  I went home and slept soundly. 

The show brought about lessons to learn for everyone involved.  The kind of lessons that can't really be taught, but need only be experienced.  For starters, learning to work with one another.  All of us come from different backgrounds and experiences.  Some have been on the stage numerous times and others only a few, or like one person, this show was their first.  So learning to accept the differences in how people respond to blocking or interpreting a character is key in moving on with a show.  Another life lesson: patience.  I need not say anymore since that is an actual practice that we all need to learn, both onstage and off.

Now I have the DVD in my possession to go back and relive these moments anytime I want to.  The pictures are posted now too.  My memories of this cast and crew will live on and I will be forever grateful to each of them.