Tensions and nerves within the cast run higher with each day as the opening night of “The Diary of Anne Frank” draws closer. While the clock ticks nearer to the opening weekend of Oct. 24-27, director and assistant professor of theatre, Forrest Robinson, has worked through the difficult snags along the way in hopes of creating a play with a more serious tone.

Robinson said that 13 people have dropped out of the show and the new recruits are still learning the lines after having come into the company later than other actors. Only three of the actors who were originally cast remain in the play.

“If you start to work on a show and people drop out, you have to get back and pull the new ones in, and we’ve gone through that a lot,” Robinson said.

For auditions, Robinson requires all of his beginning acting students to try out for the play as part of the syllabus. However, only three men who auditioned were able to be in the show, which wasn’t enough. He then went to faculty members and outside actors, but still struggled to find people to perform.

Originally, Robinson wanted to show “Harvey,” but after being unable to obtain the rights, he felt like it was time for him to do something more weighty. He said that the horrors of the Nazi genocide could happen again if we choose to stop retelling the story of Anne Frank’s sacrifice.

“I was born in 1947. She was killed in 1945,” Robinson said. “It’s so close to us to think that people murdered all these people, and we can’t let anything like that happen again.”

Rehearsing for the Show

With rehearsals for the production in week five, Senior theatre major and assistant director, Hanna Mitchell, explained that the string of dropouts has been more beneficial for certain aspects of the play.

“We’ve been trusting God during it,” Mitchell said. “So they’re a lot tighter as a cast.”

Preparation for the production also included learning more about the Jewish faith. Robinson explained that Paul and Judith Rood lent a hand. Paul is a special lecturer in the department of history and political science and Judith is a professor of history and middle eastern studies. Their expertise on Middle Eastern cultures helped in discerning the proper language of the show, especially within the Jewish prayers. This carries over into the performance as the Jewish people sing their prayers. Mitchell said that the Roods also helped with the melody of the songs.

Awaiting an audience reaction

Robinson hopes to do the story justice — to cause the audience to remember the bitterness of 1945 and to remember the story of Anne Frank so that her situation never occurs again.

“I see people come in, and they’re laughing and they’re wanting something to laugh about and have a good time. Well this isn’t going to be that,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if they’ll like it, I’m just going to say this is it.”

Mitchell said she wants audiences to take the play seriously, focusing on the story more than the acting.

“It’s a very big deal and things that are hard to deal with we tend to gloss over,” Mitchell said. “It’s a very heavy piece — especially the last scene.”

Sarah Schwartz, communications secretary, hopes the audience will walk away experiencing the depth of the story in such a way that only Robinson can communicate.

“Watching a show done by Forrest Robinson is a gift,” Schwartz said. “He truly feels the heart of each story he presents.”