By Kathy L. Collins
The Village Players will present The Diary of Anne Frank this October. They will open with their ever popular Dinner Theater Premiere on Friday, October 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets to the Dinner Theater Premiere are $25. Seating is limited, so a reservation is a must. Dinner will be catered by Fat Willie’s Fish Camp.
Regular shows will be presented on Friday, October 16 and 23 and Saturday, October 10, 17 and 24. These shows will begin at 8 p.m. A Sunday Matinee will be offered on October 18 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $13 for students, seniors and military with ID. For groups of 10 or more tickets are $12 and must be paid in advance.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a stage adaptation of the book The Diary of a Young Girl written by Anne Frank. The play is originally by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett and is based on the true story of a young Jewish girl who kept a diary of her time hiding from the Nazis in the attic of her father’s office during World War II.
Gail Pierce is the director of the Village Players’ production. Pierce said, “My cast has gone beyond the script and researched their characters. This gives them a deeper understanding of the characters and makes it more realistic.” Pierce added, “I believe that although The Diary of Anne Frank has survived for decades and continues to stand as a symbol of the atrocities of the life and times of the Holocaust, one must remember that it is an accounting through the eyes of a 13-year-old child.”
“Our goal is to bring to life the characters immortalized in Frank’s diary. We want to show their human nature, hope and optimism in the face of adversity. This is what separates people from animals even when they are facing a vicious attack on humanity,” explained Pierce.
The Village Players perform their shows at the historic James McCabe Theatre located at 506 5th St. in Valrico. The Village Players are celebrating the 100th Anniversary this year of the historic building.
The Dinner Theater Premiere helps to raise funds for much needed renovations on the building. For more information and to buy tickets, call 643-8292 or visit www.thevillageplayersvalrico.com.
