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AUDITION INFORMATION

2025 Season

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The Diary of Anne Frank Audition Information


WHEN: Sunday, February 2nd & Monday, February 3rd  at 6:00 PM

  
WHERE: The Bedford County Playhouse | 1044 Centerville Rd, Bedford, PA 15522


PERFORMANCE DATES: April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13

 Fri & Sat at 7:30 PM, Sun at 3:00 PM


WHAT TO PREPARE: No preparation needed. There will be cold readings from the script.  Please bring a list of all conflicts between February 17th and the performance dates listed above.

 

Summary:

In this transcendently powerful new adaptation by Wendy Kesselman, Anne Frank emerges from history a living, lyrical, intensely gifted young girl who confronts her rapidly changing life and the increasing horror of her time with astonishing honesty, wit and determination. An impassioned drama about the lives of eight people hiding from the Nazis in a concealed storage attic, The Diary of Anne Frank captures the claustrophobic realities of their daily existence – their fear, their hope, their laughter, their grief.

Each day of these two dark years, Anne's voice shines through: "When I write, I shake off all my cares. But I want to achieve more than that. I want to be useful and bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death!" This is a new adaptation for a new generation.

Seeking the Following Roles:

ANNE FRANK – A young girl, warm, witty, intelligent, charming, self-aware, sensitive, often impatient, sometimes a know-it-all, open, determined, easily hurt, spirited, hopeful, fun-loving, desperate, with all the longings, expectations and attitudes that adolescence brings. Though hiding and living in constant fear and isolation, she never gave up. She had a fraught relationship with her mother, adored her father, and lovingly envied her sister.


OTTO FRANK - Father of Anne and Margot and head of the group living in his Annex, upper middle-class background, a wise man, fair, loyal, attentive, patient, intelligent, soft, level-headed, optimistic, genuinely liked people, decision-maker, teacher, beloved by his workers who protected him and his family as well as the other tenants of the Annex throughout the war. He was especially susceptible to Anne’s charms. He was devoted to his wife, Edith, and comforted her whenever she was depressed about their living conditions, the attitudes of the van Daans/Dussel, or her relationship with Anne.


EDITH FRANK - A lovely woman, wife and mother from a wealthy German family, reticent, loving, moral, concerned, gracious, cultured, devoted to tradition, devastated by her relationship with Anne, barely able to cope with the demands of everyday life in hiding and isolation, tries very hard to accommodate the lower middle-class van Daan family whose uncouth and argumentative ways are an irritant to her and causes her to finally erupt into a seething rage.


MARGOT FRANK – Older sister of Anne, pretty, quiet, obedient, demure, frail, friendly, very intelligent, overwhelmed by the trials of hiding, very close to her mother and father. Like Anne, she longed for a friend in whom she could confide. She played the role of peacemaker when Anne overstepped. She was a good girl and was admired by all.


MR. VAN DAAN - Dour, selfish, complaining, ungrateful, superficial, quarrelsome, dictatorial, highly critical of his son Peter, easily irritated, is rather withdrawn from the other occupants of the Annex. His transgression causes the great blow-up in the Annex.


MRS. VAN DAAN - Loud, egotistical, talky, often crude, suspicious, bossy, moody, self-important, overbearing, critical of others, flirtatious, manipulative, sometimes depressed, enjoys a good laugh or story, more accepting of her introverted son, delusional about her younger self’s popularity and looks, feels if she is the Queen Bee in the group, chafes under her husband’s control, tries to run the household. A big stirrer-upper! Yet she is amazingly acceptable.


PETER VAN DAAN - Withdrawn, unsure, awkward, immature, shy, sometimes amusing, attached to his cat, tries to stay out of everyone’s way, hates his mother and father’s constant quarrels, ages from the introverted teenager to the more mature 19 year-old who enjoys the company of the girls and who begins to be interested in all the other occupants of the Annex.


MR. DUSSEL - Dentist, stodgy, old-fashioned, disciplined, hypercritical, selfish, horrified at Anne’s behavior, genuinely does not like people, picky, unhappy with everything, a man who has not come to terms with his situation, whiny, a perfectionist, ungrateful, and easily angered.


MR. KRALER - Dutch, helps Miep with the responsibilities of feeding and hiding the occupants of the Annex, is an employee of Mr. Frank’s company, a trusted colleague and friend. He is sympathetic to their plight, does what he can for them, and runs the company in Mr. Frank’s name, an honest and good man.


MIEP GIES - Austrian refugee living in the Netherlands, employed by Mr. Frank, entrusted by Otto Frank with provisioning the occupants of the Annex and hiding them from the outside world, she collected fake ration cards, purchased all their foodstuffs, visited the library on their behalf, and generally tried to keep their spirits up. She was courageous, empathetic, compassionate, and friendly.

General Audition Information:

All auditions are open to anyone in the community regardless of race or ethnic background.  No previous stage experience is required to try out for any BCP production.  Our directors are open to non-traditional castings and everyone is encouraged to submit themselves for all projects.

Knowledge of the material is encouraged but not required. 

Players do not have to be the ages of the characters, just be able to portray the age range listed.

Play Auditions:

You do not need to prepare anything. Actors will be instructed to read pieces from the script at auditions.

Musical Auditions:

You must come prepared to sing 16-32 bars of a musical theatre piece that displays your vocal range.

Clearances:

Any individual who is cast in a show with anyone under the age of 18 must receive both their Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance and the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Clearance. As a volunteer for the theatre there should be no cost. If you do not obtain your clearances, you WILL NOT be able to act in a show with anyone under 18 in the cast. Both clearances can be obtained online, click button below for more information. Please note, while uncommon, some clearances may take more than 14 days.

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