Virginia Richardson Stars in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at the Roxy Regional Theatre

For over half a century, her memoir has captured the hearts of millions around the world. Now the Roxy Regional Theatre is bringing to life the inspirational true story of a young girl swept up in the turmoil of the Holocaust in THE DIARY OF Anne Frank, opening Friday, February 17, at 8:00pm.

During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, Anne Frank began to keep a diary on June 14, 1942, two days after her thirteenth birthday and twenty-two days before going into hiding with her mother, father, sister and four others. Adapted from the book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and told through the eyes and words of a teenage girl, the stirring and thought-provoking story of two Jewish families' struggle to survive amid the chaos of war and religious persecution has become an essential tool for understanding one of the darkest periods in human history.

Written by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich and directed by Ryan Bowie, THE DIARY OF Anne Frank stars the prodigiously gifted young actress Virginia Richardson in the title role. Virginia made her Roxy Regional Theatre debut in 2015 as Jane Banks in Mary Poppins and later starred as Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden. She has numerous theatre credits in Nashville and surrounding areas, including Young Violet in Violet (Street Theatre Company), Young Cosette in Les Miserables (Lipscomb University), Marta in The Sound of Music (StudioTenn) and Baby June in Gypsy (Keeton Theater).

Walking in the shoes of Anne's father for the fifth time, Roxy veteran Jay Doolittle returns as Otto Frank, this time around with newcomer Beth Kirby as his wife, Edith, and local youth Jesse Boyle as Anne's sister, Margot. Benny Jones and Jackie Ostick play Mr. & Mrs. Van Daan, with Jacob Johnson taking on the role of their son, Peter. The cast also features Howard Snyder as Mr. Dussel, Emily Rourke as Miep Gies, and Bill Colclough as Mr. Kraler.

THE DIARY OF Anne Frank is made possible in part through the generous support of Altra Federal Credit Union. Additional funding support has been provided by Melinda Kelly-Major.

Performances run February 17 through March 4 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00pm and Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, with a 2:00pmmatinee on Saturday, February 25.

Friday, February 17, is the traditional pay-what-you-can preview of THE DIARY OF Anne Frank. All tickets not pre-sold at the regular ticket price will go on sale at 7:30pm that evening for a $5 minimum donation.

Tickets are $20 (adults) and $15 (ages 13 and under) and may be reserved online at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org, by phone at (931) 645-7699, or at the theatre during regular box office hours (9:00am to 2:00pm, Monday through Friday, and one hour prior to curtain). Military, APSU students and CitySaver coupon holders can receive two tickets for the price of one to Wednesday and Thursday performances during the run.

Photo: "Virginia Richardson stars in the Roxy Regional Theatre's production of THE DIARY OF Anne Frank, February 17 - March 4"

Additional photos and more information are available on the Roxy's press page at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org/prkit (password: RRT1983).

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