THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

In this gripping new adaptation by Wendy Kesselman, from the original stage play by Goodrich and Hackett, newly discovered writings from the diary of Anne Frank, as well as survivor accounts, are interwoven to create a contemporary impassioned story of the lives of people persecuted under Nazi rule.

Brief description

The slightly over an hour production is appropriate for middle school, high school and family audiences. Larger than the usual Seem-To-Be Players production, the show will provide an imaginative interpretation to a classic of the American Theatre complete with original cello music. The 8 actor, fully stage production will be directed by Moses Goldberg, founding Artistic Director of Stage One Louisville, whose 1990's production of the play was hailed as the definitive youth theatre touring version of The Diary. This play will tour in the fall of 2005 only and is not in repertory with the Seem-To-Be Players elementary school productions.

Company Bio

The Seem-To-Be Players are the Lawrence Arts Center's resident professional Theatre for Youth company, performing across Kansas, the Midwest and the nation. The Players have been touring since 1979, creating original, innovative, exciting and educational productions. Trademarks of the (we are what we ) "Seem-To-Be" style include imaginative sets and costumes, original music, and transformational acting that enlivens each story, myth history or comedy and infuses them all with an energetic and zany love of life and celebration of the humanity of all people.

The company has toured in more than 50 Kansas communities, 35 states and 3 countries, entertaining and educating more than 150,000 students per year.

Now in their 31st Season, The Seem-To-Be Players may be booked nationally and internationally through Mainstage Management and have been granted the Kansas Governor's Arts Award and received major project and touring funding from the Heartland Arts Fund, Kansas Health Foundation, Payless Shoesource, Hallmark Cards, US Bank, the Kansas Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Productions travel in a truck and van and can be loaded into a performance space in less than three hours. Players use house light and sound and bring a few of their own special effects.

Bio
Artistic Director, Writer, Ric Averill

Ric Averill has been the Artistic Director and principal playwright, composer and director for the Arts Center's Seem-To-Be Players professional children's theatre company since he and his wife, Jeanne, founded the company in 1973.

Ric writes both plays and music, with degrees from the University of Kansas in both Music Composition and Children's Theatre. Ric has received numerous Playwriting Fellowships and been selected for five professional play development symposiums including the Kennedy Center's New Visions/New Voices and the Indianapolis Bonderman Youth Theatre Playwriting Symposium.

Ric's plays, published by Dramatic Publishing, include The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor; Bird Woman, the Story of Sacagawea; The Princess and the Pea and other short plays; Pixies, Kings and Magical Things; Alex and the Shrink World and T-Money and Wolf (with Kevin Willmott.) Ric also wrote the Actor's Handbook for Fran Tanner's high school textbook, Basic Drama Projects.

Included among Ric's many commissions are the Kennedy Center's Alice in Wonderland, First Stage Milwaukee's Little Drummer Boy, the Coterie Theatre’s Frankenstein and the Kansas Health Foundation's Red Blood and High Purpose. Ric's fusion of music and theatre has culminated in an opera for children based on the story of The Emperor's New Clothes which was commissioned by the Kennedy Center.

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