in Anne Frank's Diary Those in Hiding

271 Pages·2017·6.77 MB·English

Scanlon, Anna The Image of Anne Frank in Modern Theatre

The Image of Anne Frank in Modern Theatre

Thesis Submitted for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
at the University of Leicester

By
Anna Scanlon
School of History
University of Leicester

2017
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Abstract
This thesis seeks to explore Anne Frank and her representation in theatre and
how it has changed over time.. Anne Frank is one of the most well known
victims of the Holocaust and is often used to represent the 1 million children
who perished in the Nazi genocide. As such, numerous theatrical products have
been created about her, including those that have been “allowed” by the official
organizations who protect her memory (the Anne Frank House and Anne
Frank Fonds) and those that are written by artists wishing to explore their own
relationship to Anne. While the two Broadway products of The Diary of Anne
Frank are often explored in literature relating to the Holocaust in theatre, as of
yet, there has been no thesis exploring Anne in theatre as a whole. Speaking
about only the Broadway productions severely limits the discourse and leaves
out the question of why so many artists are compelled to create new
productions about Anne Frank and why, when so many pieces already exist
about her, people continue to attempt to capture her “true essence” in
theatre—and the question of whether authenticity is important when
producing a historical piece. This thesis also explores the enduring popularity
of the Broadway production with professional and amateur theatrical groups
throughout the United Kingdom and what motivates companies to continue to
perform this piece, despite the glaring flaws that both historians and theatrical
professionals have noted in its writing as well as its dated nature. Lastly, this
thesis seeks to explore the on-going issues and controversy concerning the
future Anne’s legacy in theatre since the death of her father and first cousin,
both of whom were in charge of allowing pieces to be made about Anne. This
thesis fills a much-needed gap in research about Anne Frank, but also speaks to
the representation of the Holocaust in modern art as a whole and whether true
historical representation is necessary and how interpretation of texts change
over time.

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Table of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................ iii
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... v
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
Central “Characters” in Anne Frank’s Diary ....................................................... 22
Chapter One: Anne Frank’s Diary From Book to Play ..................................... 26
Chapter Two: Idea to Stage ...................................................................................... 50
Chapter Three: 1955 The Diary of Anne Frank vs the 1997 The Diary of
Anne Frank .................................................................................................................... 90
Chapter Four: Two Broadway Incarnations of Anne: Criticism of the Play
in 1955 vs. 1997 ......................................................................................................... 120
Chapter Five: Other Plays About Anne Frank .................................................. 141
Chapter Six: Case Studies on Productions of The Diary of Anne Frank by
Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett (and Wendy Kesselman) ............... 200
Chapter Seven: Anne: The Play ............................................................................. 226
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 237
Appendix: Consent Form ........................................................................................ 245
Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 250

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Acknowledgements

This thesis was made possible by the unwavering support of many people
along the way, who provided me with guidance and sometimes even brief
distractions from the gravity of the subject.

Firstly, I have to thank Dr. Olaf Jensen. Though he is no longer with the
University of Leicester, he saw potential in my thesis and myself and invited
me to study at the Stanley Burton Centre. He provided me guidance for the first
stage of this thesis. The task of my primary supervision was then taken over by
Dr. Paul J. Moore who spent countless hours with me going over my thesis and
shaping it into something worthy of scholarly discourse. Thanks as well must
be given to Dr. Franisiska Louwagie, who served as a primary advisor during
the interim between Olaf Jensen’s absence and Paul J. Moore’s appointment.
She also provided me with the opportunity to publish in a journal on the
Holocaust. Dr. Alexander Korb of the Stanley Burton Centre, while not directly
involved in my thesis, has offered me a great deal of support along the way. I
give tremendous gratitude for the Stanley Burton Centre as a whole for giving
me the opportunity to conduct my studies and to travel to conferences and for
research trips.

Several academic cohorts deserve acknowledgement for their tips and advice.
These include Dr. Stefanie Rauch, Dr. Samantha Mitschke (of the University of
Birmingham), Nicolle Watkins and Josh Cohen.

Special thanks must be given to the Anne Frank House who allowed me to
spend several hours in their archives poring over documents and original
letters relating to the original theatrical production. I am also grateful to
Theater Amsterdam for providing me with tickets and information on the 2014
production, Anne. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. David Barnouw of the
University of Amsterdam/NIOD. Although he is one of the pre-emanate
scholars of Anne Frank, he was never too busy to answer the questions of a
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lowly graduate student and always proved eager to share his knowledge and
shared passion for Anne’s work.

This thesis could not have been completed without the participation of the
theater companies (Bedford Dramatic Society, Synergy Theatre Company,
Southampton University Players and One Off Productions), who so graciously
allowed me to spend time with their actors, drive me to and from the train
station, and in some cases, invited me into their homes to facilitate my studies.
They truly exemplified the spirit and generosity shared by theatre folk around
the world.

I participated in the Auschwitz Jewish Center Programme in the summer of
2014, which was an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget. Through
that programme, I was able to experience Auschwitz in a way I never would
have as a tourist, which allowed me to connect with Anne on a deeper level.
During this trip, I was acquainted with Maciek Zabierowski and Tomak
Kuncewicz, leaders of the Auschwitz Jewish Centre in Oscwiecim, who opened
up my eyes to even more aspects of the Holocaust. I would also like to
acknowledge those students and professionals who came on the trip with me:
Evan Alberhasky, Cheryl Chaffin, Elaine Eisenbaum, Madison Flashenburg,
Nicole Freeman, Franziska Karpinski, Helen Rubenstein and Eva Serfozo

It would also not be a thesis if I did not thank those who I began this journey
with five years Amsterdam study Holocaust History at the NIOD. To this day, I
am continually inspired personally and professionally by Elysia Ruvinsky,
Franziska Karpinski and Lydia Stevens.

Lastly, I have to thank the people who personally supported me over the last
few years, especially since my health took a dive for the worse over the final
two years of my thesis. I give my eternal gratitude to Jim and Judy Scanlon, my
parents and biggest cheerleaders; Christine Dooley for her support and caring
while I am 5000 miles away from my family; Gemma Neville for her kind ear
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and Luke Orchard, my partner, for putting up with me during this time. I must
also thank Eugene for his enduring and everlasting loyalty. He is the only one
who has literally sat with me during the entire writing up process, and that
deserves a special mention.
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Introduction

“I am told that every night when the sun goes down, somewhere in the world the
curtain is going up on a stage play made from Anne’s diary.”
-Miep Gies, Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped Hide the
Frank Family1

“For anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the
first and now, was and is to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue
her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his
form and pressure.”
-Shakespeare, Hamlet Act III Scene 2

Anne Frank is one of the most famous Holocaust victims, if not the most famous.
Her diary has been translated into 67 languages2 and is well known the world over.
Teenagers around the world still connect to her story, which includes the familiar
struggles of going through puberty, sibling rivalry and arguments with parents, all
set to the backdrop of the Holocaust. While Anne’s story ends where her Holocaust
experience begins, her story is still known as one of the foremost in Holocaust
literature, particularly where teens are concerned.

Tim Cole states, “’Anne Frank’ stands as the ‘Holocaust victim.’…This ‘Anne Frank’
is the ideal symbol of the ‘innocent victim’ and the ideal symbol of innocence
snuffed out.”3 Since Anne’s diary was published by her father, she has become,
through his lens, an idealized version of herself and one that is represented in
mass media.

1 Gies,M. and Gold, A.L. 1988: Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman
Who Helped Hide the Frank Family. New York: Simon and Schuster, p. 11.
2 The Anne Center for Mutual Respect. (n.d.). About Anne Frank. Retrieved from
http://annefrank.com/about-anne-frank/. 20 June 2016.
3 Cole, T. 1999: Selling the Holocaust: From Auschwitz to Schindler How History is
Bought Packaged and Sold. New York: Routledge, p. 46
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Anne has become sanitized, universalized and devoid of her original personality in
order to fit with what we have come to expect of her. The Anne that appears in our
minds, and the minds of theatrical producers, is not the true Anne, but the Anne
that Otto and we imagine. Although she is fervently remembered, her memory
more serves a purpose for those she has left behind; and it serves a purpose of
inspiration and hope, however inaccurate, for those who did not know her.
Studying this in the theatrical sense, and what her memory meant and means
onstage, helps scholars understand what Holocaust memorialization will look like
moving forward.

In doing a thesis about the ways in which Anne has been represented over the past
70 years since her death, it could be tempting to discuss all of the ways in which
she has been presented. Whether “approved” by the Anne Frank Fonds, the
foundation that her father Otto Frank started to preserve her work, or not, Anne’s
image has managed to find its way into pop culture. However, because Anne has
been represented in such a wide range of media, it would be impossible to discuss
Anne in all of these instances, as justice would not be done in one particular mode
of art.

Because Anne is so frequently represented in popular culture, it may seem, at first
glance, like overkill to continue studying her story when there are so many other
lesser known stories of the Holocaust that exist. To this date, however, there have
been no studies that focus solely on Anne Frank’s representation in theatre. This
thesis seeks to fill the gaps in the field that have been previously neglected.

The theatrical adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary is of particular interest because it
represents one of the first times a play about the Holocaust was mounted in
commercial and popular American theatre. Edna Nahshon states, “The original
stage production of The Diary of Anne Frank was a watershed event: It marked the
first time that the mainstream American theater presented a play whose plot
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