Junior Sophie van Bastelaer’s voice booms in the pitch black auditorium, reading an entry from the diary of her character, Anne Frank. Last week, director Christopher Gerken presented the winter play, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” once again demonstrating the professional quality of the drama department.The play, written in 1955 by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, follows the diary of 13-year-old Frank while she, her family, Mr. Dussell and the van Daans hide during the Holocaust.  Frank tries her best to keep an upbeat attitude despite the distress surrounding her.

Gerken cast the play extremely well, with eight junior and senior actors that never left the stage during the three-hour performance.  Even the “minor” roles were exceptional, with sophomore Michelle Huey as Miep Gies and senior Nate Simon as Mr. Kraler.  Every member of the small cast brought the play to life.

In her first lead role in a Whitman production, van Bastelaer did an amazing job embodying Anne Frank with an appropriately optimistic demeanor.  She was truly committed to her character and held nothing back, maintaining her energy throughout the play.

Senior Jacob Trauberman, no new face to the Whitman stage, played Otto Frank, Anne’s father.  Trauberman was captivating in his memorable and very emotional monologue in the last scene of the play, when he revisits the empty annex as the only Frank to survive the Holocaust.

As Mrs. Van Daan, junior Simone Levine made the audience laugh with every crack, a tough job considering the nature of the play.  Levine skillfully balanced the devastating story with a dose of well-delivered humor.

An equally impressive stage crew accompanied the amazing cast.  The lights, set design and sound effects seemed to be of professional quality.  The sound of Nazi sirens going by, horrifying noises of people screaming outside and the background music made the play frighteningly realistic.

The lighting during dramatic scenes, and when and where the light came on, contributed to the actors’ emotions.  Dimming the lights between scenes and a creative use of spot lights made it hard to believe it wasn’t a movie.

The cast did an incredible job telling Anne Frank’s story to students and parents.  Considering the emotional, sensitive content of such a complex play , the cast did an extraordinary job and deserved applause for their fantastic performance.