Photos: First Look at ANNE FRANK at Greensboro Arts Alliance

A cast comprised of citizens from the Northeast Kingdom and professional actors will perform the acclaimed drama, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK for three performances only August 20-22 at The Hardwick Town House (Depot St.) in Hardwick, VT, it has been announced by Sabra Jones, Artistic Director of Greensboro Arts Alliance (GAAR) and Mirror Repertory, the show's producers.

Get a first look in the photos below!

Ms. Jones, who is directing this production and is a longtime summer resident of Greensboro, notes that THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK has a historic connection to Vermont, dating back to the late Vermonter Judith Jones's discovery of Anne Frank's diaries when Ms. Jones was an editor at Doubleday in the 1950's.

This production of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK is, in fact, dedicated to the memory of Judith Jones, who had served as a member of the Mirror Rep Advisory Board.

Later adapted for the stage by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955. A subsequent film version in 1959 received nine Oscar nominations and earned Shelley Winters an Academy Award for her performance. Also of note about this Vermont production, director Jones's late sister-in-law Susan Strasberg was the original ANNE FRANK when the play debuted on Broadway.

Featured in the cast of GAAR/Mirror Rep's production are Vermont resident Elizabeth Fitzgerald in the title role, Richard Alexander, Alexandra Tebano, Aidan Redmond, Abigail Demers, Will River Mossek (SON OF THE SOUTH with Brian Dennehy), Karen Stanion and Cian Genaro.

"This production is very timely," Sabra Jones said. "We are coming out of a time when people were forced to shelter in place all over the world during the pandemic. But in the Franks' time, the pandemic was Evil. Anti-Semitism and other hate crimes are on the rise again worldwide. And the message is that we must always be on guard against hatred and evil."

Dancer Evangeline Bulick has created a dance "capturing the spirit of the brave people who resisted totalitarianism," according to Jones, and will perform it as a prologue to the play. Original music by award-winning actress, movie star, and composer Tina Chen will accompany the work.

Judith Jones (1924-2017) was an editor for Doubleday when she pulled the manuscript from a slush pile in the 1950s. "I made the book quite important because I was so taken with it, and I felt it would have a real market in America. It's one of those seminal books that will never be forgotten," Judith said in a 2016 interview. The legendary editor also had a long history in Vermont, including serving on the advisory board of GAAR/The Mirror, and enjoying their productions. Jones, a Bennington College graduate, spent her summers growing up in Montpelier and Greensboro, and owned a home in Walden until her death.

Greensboro Arts Alliance/The Mirror Theater, Ltd has had an acclaimed history in the Northeast Kingdom for almost Two Decades. They have produced over two hundred plays, concerts, and other events including Opera. In 2016 they were the largest single employer of Vermont Artists and have performed all over Vermont in a variety of venues.

Tickets to THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK are $17.50 and $12.50 and can be purchased in advance online at www.themirror.org. Or in person at the theater one hour prior to the performance. Performances are August 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. and August 22 at 2 p.m.

For more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-diary-of-anne-frank-tickets-164065033933

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