Throughout the months of August and September, Lincoln’s drama department worked incredibly hard on the production of The Diary of Anne Frank. Cate Conway-Brandt, a sophomore at Lincoln, played Anne Frank. She tells her perspective on the process of preparing for this part.
Q: What research did you do to prepare for the role?
A: I watched a lot of youtube interviews of people who have either been through the holocaust or people who had family that died in the holocaust. I also watched a lot of interviews of Otto Frank and Miep. I also read her diary and the play in eighth grade. I tried to do as much as I could.
Q: How important do you think the family dynamic was for this play, compared to other shows?
A: It’s definitely a show where you have to know everyone well. You have to be able to read people, and live off of the show. You have to be very close with each other because it wasn’t three different families in the house. Like Mr. Frank said, it was one family.
Q: Favorite rehearsal moment?
A: Our first full dress rehearsal. We were doing tech. Me and a bunch of other people in the cast started dancing.
A lot of thought was put into every detail of this play. From sound effects to lighting, each detail kept viewers wanting to see more. Mia Erwin, a senior at Lincoln, was given the role of Stage Manager, stage Manager is the backbone of the show. They call the light and sound cues, and support the cast members when they need help. Mia tells her experience as stage manager:
Q: What was the most challenging part of the process throughout the play?
A: Being in charge of the other actors, even though I wasn’t the director, or a teacher.
Q: How different is it being a techie instead of an actor this year?
A: It was my first time so it’s quite different. It made me appreciate tech more than before.
Q: Favorite rehearsal moment?
A: My assistant stage manager, Lucia, and I would mess around on the set while actors were getting ready, and it was really fun.
Lincoln’s Drama Department did an incredible job making this fascinating true story come alive on the stage. The amount of effort that went into every detail definitely made it a worthwhile watch!
