Anne Frank and Me

A play by Cherie Bennett with Jeff Gottesfeld
  Directed by Charla Cochran

June 24-26, 7:30pm
June 27, 2:30pm

CDF Studio Theatre
1715 27th Court South
Downtown Homewood
Tickets: $8

Recommended for ages 10 and older.

Directed by Charla Cochran, the story is about the awakening of a modern teen Holocaust denier.  Nicole Burns doubts the truth and cares even less, but ultimately comes face-to-face with the hell of the Holocaust, and—in an extraordinary sequence—meets Anne Frank on a cattle car to Auschwitz. We start out with Nicole in today's teen world of MTV. Hip-hop dancing, unfinished homework assignments, and young love are all transported with her to Nazi-occupied Paris, 1942-44, and then are brought forward again to the light and hope of the present.

This multiple national award-winning new American classic features 15 actors ages 10 to adult.  

Cochran said, “I realized recently how close we are to losing the first-hand accounts of the holocaust.  That generation, the youth of the holocaust, are aging and dying.  There are very few left who can attest to the atrocities that the Jews and other suffered at the hands of the Nazis.   We all have a responsibility to never forget and to never let future generation forget!  If, through this production, we can enlighten even one young person to see themselves as no different from the young victims of the holocaust, or simply to accept the truth and remember, then we have succeeded as artists.”

Anne Frank and Me took shape as a play that premiered in 1995, ran off-Broadway in 1996 and is now one of the most widely produced plays in the Dramatic Publishing catalog.  The story is also available as a novel and is the perfect adjunct to the play.  The story was meticulously researched using English and French primary and secondary sources and is as accurate a piece as could be written.

"This is not an easy play,” said Cochran.  “Not to work on, think about, nor will it be easy to watch.  But it is extremely important!  And not to mislead anyone, it has its fair share of moments that will make you laugh out loud.  Overall, it is a story of hope for the future and a strong connection to the past.”

Cochran founded SYTC in 2005 to provide engaging, innovative, and socially relevant theatre for young performers and audiences of all ages. Like CDF’s other programs, StageDoor believes in nurturing the creative spirit in everyone, encouraging its young performers to grow artistically while at the same time providing excellent arts entertainment for our community.  This is the sixth full-scale production by StageDoor.  Most recent productions include Zink: the myth, the legend, the zebra (also by Cherie Bennett) and Ramona Quimby.

Children's Dance Foundation
1715 27th Court South
Birmingham, AL 35209
205-870-0073
www.childrensdancefoundation.org