FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2001

Theatre Company and Museum Collaborate To Teach Students About Holocaust
Actors from 'The Diary of Anne Frank' Visiting Schools
 

The Saint John Theatre Company and the local Jewish community are working together to teach students about the Holocaust.

With the theatre troupe’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank less than a month away, the principal actors are visiting middle schools and high schools to perform scenes from the play. In addition, the Saint John Jewish Historical Museum has supplied teachers with Holocaust Educational Kits containing videos, books and study guides.

This unique collaboration between the theatre company and the museum was made possible by a $5,000 grant from the Province of New Brunswick.

Written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hacket and adapted by Wendy Kesselman, The Diary of Anne Frank is based on the true story of a Jewish teenager who spent more than two years hiding from the Nazis during World War II. She died at the age of 15 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Marisa Rignanesi, a 19-year-old student at the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus, was chosen from among about 50 young women to play Anne. She, her cast mates and director Bob Doherty will visit Kennebecasis Valley High, Rothesay High and several other local schools during the next two weeks.

"If anyone doesn't know the story of Anne, the play is just going to open their eyes so much," says Rignanesi. "I think this is going to make it so much more real and give it a more personal feel for them. ... It's not just a play that somebody decided to write."

Students can also see The Diary of Anne Frank in its entirety in a special performance at the Imperial Theatre. The dress rehearsal will be open to students on Thursday, November 15, with tickets at five dollars apiece. The other performances of the play are scheduled for November 16 and 17.

The Diary of Anne Frank is the first of three productions in the Saint John Theatre Company’s 2001-2002 season at the Imperial. The Company, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last year, is a community-based theatre group managed entirely by volunteers.

The Saint John Jewish Historical Museum was founded in 1986 to collect, preserve and display material related to the history of the city’s Jewish community. The Museum’s library and archives, which include an extensive section on the Holocaust, are open to everyone.

Saint John Theatre Company subscriptions and individual tickets are available at the Imperial Theatre Box Office or by calling 674-4100.

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