Anne Frank.Indd

DIRECTOR’S NOTES: September 25, 2015 My endless gratitude goes to the cast, crew and production team for always believing in Anne’s story. Thank you for going on this journey through history with me. This endearing story impacts us all. May her light never be extinguished in the face of intolerance. May her story remain with all of you, always. In lieu of director’s notes, I’ve decided to share with you a personal letter on why I chose to direct this play. Brother Bob Warren, Let me preface this letter by saying, though I’ve grown up hearing many stories about you, we have never met. This letter has taken me quite some time to write. I must say everything I have wanted and needed to say for some time now. As a young boy, whenever possible, my aunt made sure to collect me on Friday evenings to take me watch local theater. I was in the 3rd grade when I watched my first play, Dearly Departed, at the Laredo Little Theater. The play was entertaining enough for a child more captivated by watching a dramatized live story than anything else. I attended numerous plays over the next few years, but at 11 years old and beginning the 6th grade at Lamar Middle, Peggy Phelps invited our Drama class to watch LITE Production’s latest endeavor. My mother and I attended that evening’s performance of The Diary of Anne Frank directed by you. I remember that night as clearly as yesterday. Lights up— Otto and Miep are stage left. It is dark; Otto is old and broken and weeping as he reads his daughter’s diary. I remember Jessica Cardenas’s portrayal of a naive and vulnerable Anne Frank, Mara López as a serious and sensible Margot, John Flanagan and Diana Marcos as the colorful Van Daans. I felt crushed and horrified by the coat scene. I rooted for Peter and Anne to kiss, to give into their romantic notions. But most of all, I remember Danny Villarreal’s astounding performance of a father trying to bring stability to this dangerous and life-altering situation. Your production introduced me to Anne Frank’s story. You must understand the effect your play had on me as a child. I did not know how great the power of theatre as a storytelling device could be. I sat in the audience after the play ended, sobbing, wholly affected by the elaborately simple piece of drama you created with your actors. It is an experience that has been with me since. I’ve heard countless stories of the legendary “Brother Bob.” People speak so highly of you; how you built your own sets, how you knew specifically what costumes characters should wear, how you led and had so much passion for your work. “Bob did it all,” they say. I deeply admire your vision and dedication to your craft. I want you to know that your work reached me in the house that night and changed how I think about art-- how personal it can be. “I’m grateful to God for having given me this gift,” Anne wrote, “this possibility of developing myself…of expressing all that is in me.” Thank you for giving me this precious gift of theatre—of expression. It’s strange and fascinating to think that someone I only grew up hearing about influenced so much of me, who I am now: honest, relentless, detail-oriented. Thank you for doing what you do, because now I do what I do. Deepest Regards, Marco GonzálezGonzález CAST OF CHARACTERS Margaret Sharp as Anne Frank Brian Manning-Spindt as Otto Frank Stephanie Solis Schnyder as Edith Frank Daniela Ramon as Margot Frank Jose Pepe Treviño as Peter Van Daan Jose Flores as Mr. Van Daan Celia Hernández as Mrs. Van Daan John Maxstadt as Mr. Dussel Juan Luis Pérez, Jr. as Mr. Kraler Elizabeth Pérez as Miep Gies July 1942 - November 1945 Amsterdam ANNE FRANK, FAMILY AND FRIENDS When reading about the Holocaust, one can be overwhelmed by numbers. “So many millions of this group perished, so many of that group and oh, yes, don’t forget those other groups who: died, disappeared, lost loved ones (or homes, professions, fortunes, possessions, etc.).” One of Hitler’s fel- low dictators had this to say about numbers: “When one man dies, it is a tragedy; when millions die, it is a statistic.” What you will see this evening is not about numbers. It is about a young girl, her family, and acquaintances. All of them are ordinary people caught in one of the most extraordinary events of all time. To save themselves they must hide from the worst criminal organization of the twentieth cen- tury. How they deal with the situation is sometimes humorous, ingenious, heartbreaking, and terrifying. Ultimately they fail, and are swept up in the murderous machine that was the Nazi “Final Solution to the Jewish Problem.” Also part of the story are members of the Dutch Resistance, who hid, fed and protected thou- sands of fugitives from the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) and GeheimeStaatspolizei (Gestapo). Those protected by the Dutch included Allied soldiers, airmen and other personnel sought by Axis collaborators and their Nazi overseers. We must recognize and acknowledge the good works of the Resistance and those ordinary Dutch citizens who did not cooperate with that oppressive regime. Their sacriﬁ ces were responsible for innumerable survival stories from World War Two. Indeed, without one heroic Dutch woman (you will meet her onstage), we would not have the story we see tonight. Hitler and his cronies left a scar on human history that can never be erased; indeed, it must always be remembered for what it was (and remains): shameful. The Diary of Anne Frank puts a face on some of the numbers who perished and some who survived those terrible times. ARTISTIC STAFF & PRODUCTION TEAM Director Marco González Producer Linda López Howland and Karen Mejía Stage Manager Hacel Arias Dramaturge Vernon Carroll Technical Director Adalberto Chavarria Set Design Redline Architecture Properties Masters Henry Mejía and Alicia Coronado Costumers Teena Arciniega, Casandra Canales Wig Mistress/Hairstyling Susie Laurel Assistant Director Casandra Canales Assistant Producer Debbie Goldberg Assistant Properties Yvette Medellin, Mary Medellin, Marco Coronado Assistant Stage Manager Mariel Leon Set Construction Rizuma Construction Company Graphic Artist Anastasia Pérez, Pink Texas Designs Lighting Designer Marco González Sound Designer Marco González Public Relations Linda López Howland and Karen Mejía Make-up Artists/Hair Ruby Reyes Costume Alterations Tere Arias Running Crew Damian Chapa, Ivan Chapa, Amanda Guevara, Alexis Martínez, Mary Medellin, Yvette Medellin, Brittney Moreno, Ruby Reyes, Camila Carreon, Marshall Mecham, John Wu, Leslie Alejandro, Marina Medellin, Alfredo Velasco Audio Engineer Robert Batey Light Board Operator Daniel Castillo Sound Effects Playback Adamaris Andrade Audio Tech Ryan Duncan and Matt McVinie Voiceover Recordist Ric Cortez Box Office and Tickets Teena Arciniega Advance Ticket Sales Blue Top Reprographics, Primped The Style Bar Class on Stage Liasons Elizabeth Salazar, LISD Diana Ortiz, UISD Special Thanks The Anne Frank Center, USA, Toni Ruíz, Dr. José O. Vásquez, The Book Babes, Habitat for Humanity, The Mejía Family, Primped The Style Bar, Sharron Wallerstein, Dr. Marcus Nelson, LISD, Mr. Roberto Santos, UISD, Dr. Martha Villarreal, Vidal M. Treviño Magnet School, Maggie Martínez, LISD, Judith García, UISD, Dr. Gil Martínez, Julio Méndez, Juan Molano, Frieda the Cat THE CAST Margaret Sharp (Anne Frank) is delighted to be making her third appearance with Laredo Theater Guild International. Favorite roles include Timon in The Lion King, Jr., Ursula Merkle in Bye Bye Birdie, and Betty Parris in The Crucible. She received an honorable mention for her portrayal of Rhoda Penmark in United High School’s One Act Play production of The Bad Seed. She is a student of theater arts at the Vidal M. Treviño School for Communications and Fine Arts. Margaret would like to thank her family for their endless support. Brian Manning-Spindt (Otto Frank) is an architect, designer and entrepreneur who began at age ﬁ fteen with a few unexpected ballet classes that turned into a 12-year pro- fessional dancing career. Dancing for Waldo González & Danza-Jazz in Puerto Rico, Ballets-Contemporaneo de Santo Domingo and Chicago the Musical (Puerto Rico) in 2003. Arriving in Laredo two and half years ago, Brian began performing again with roles on stage in LTGI’s My Fair Lady and The 39 Steps. Brian is also a member of the board of the Laredo Theater Guild International. Stephanie Solis Schnyder (Edith Frank) is a veteran in Laredo’s theatre community having worked, both as an actor and in production, with LTGI, LLT and LCC’s opera workshop. She has worked under the direction of Dr. Joseph Crabtree, Vernon Car- roll, José Flores, Marco González among others. Stephanie’s most recent roles were Wicked Witch and multiple chorus roles (Shrek The Musical), María (Bless Me, Ultima), Marty (Grease) and Ann Putnam (The Crucible, Class on Stage), La Mujer de Leonardo (Bodas de sangre), Antonia (Man of la Mancha), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Bobbi (Some Girls), Elaine (Arsenic and Old Lace), Dominique du Monaco (Lucky Stiff), Lucy (Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Lily St. Regis (Annie). She is Choir Director at Lamar Middle School. She is really excited to be once again part of the Class on Stage productions with LTGI in this production of The Diary of Anne Frank. This show is one that has really touched her heart on a deeper level and is one to which she feels a close connection. Thank you LTGI for once again allowing me to be part of such an amazing theatrical piece.

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