Blog

By Mario Muscar

Last week, I went to a performance of the opening play of Towngate’s 2018-2019 season, “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

I arrived early to have a beer in the lobby and mingle and interact with friends in the Towngate community. After I finished my beer, I headed upstairs and sat down for the show. A large number theater-goers were in attendance. It made me happy to see so many people had come out to support local theater and watch this classic play.

SETTING THE MOOD FOR THE HEARTBREAKING STORY

The first thing that I noticed as the show began was the set. The entire stage was covered with the makeshift attic where the Jewish families chronicled in “The Diary of Anne Frank” were hiding. Before anyone even set foot on the stage, it looked cramped. There were different nooks and crannies, and the entire place was full chairs, tables, little cots, stools, etc. And as more and more of the cast appeared on the stage, the cramped feeling was complete. The set effectively demonstrated how these eight people were uncomfortably packed into a small space for more than two years, hiding from the Nazis who would send them to work camps and potential death.

The script, adapted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett from Anne’s diary, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1956, and it is still a strong script today. The script is a moving tribute to life and hope, but one that leaves you heartbroken at the end and left with a feeling of horrifying waste, defeat and guilt, the very familiar having been made harsh and abnormal.

MOMENTS OF HUMOR AND JOY

However, there are of course moments of humor and joy. A moment in the first act where Mrs. Van Daan talks about her youth and the short skirts she wore to show off her legs was rather amusing. And the performance by Maria McKelvey truly sold the moment and lightened the show. Another moment that stuck with me was the Hanukah scene where they are celebrating the holiday. Anne, played with youthful exuberance and optimism by Taylor Andrews, made the scene shine as she handed out Hanukah gifts that she cobbled together from what she could find or make in the attic.

One can certainly see why “The Diary of Anne Frank” is part of the regular teaching curriculum to young students in the United States. It shines a light on an incredibly dark moment of humanity while revealing to us that the human spirit and hope are vital to survival in the face of certain death. Everyone should experience “The Diary of Anne Frank” sometime in their lives. And Towngate Theatre gives us the opportunity to do so.

ABOUT THE PLAY

“The Diary of Anne Frank” is one of the most famous and haunting stories to emerge from the 20th Century. The memoirs of a young Jewish girl, forced to hide for nearly two years to escape Nazi persecution, are an essential part of how we remember one of the darkest periods of our human history.

GET TICKETS AND SEE THE SHOW

Remaining performances for Towngate Theater’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett are September 28 and 29. Curtain is at 8pm.

Admission is $12.50/$11 OI members. Purchase tickets online or by calling 304-242-7700, or at the door, if available.

One of most amazing things about community theater is that actors give their talent and time so that we can be entertained, moved and inspired. At Towngate Theatre, we are lucky to have a large number of these talented people share their creative skills with us. Some are veterans who have honed their skills and bring a polished craft to their performances. Others are new to the stage, entering the realm of acting with a fresh face and vigor. Jim Showalter is one such actor, one who didn’t start acting until later in life.

FROM STEELWORKING TO TOWNGATE TO TELEVISION

Jim was born and raised in Wheeling. He retired in 2014 after working for 42 years for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation. It was then that he decided to try his hand at acting in community theatre.

His first play was in Towngate Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol” in 2014. Since then, Jim has acted in five other plays at Towngate, including “George Washington Slept Here” and “Charlotte’s Web.”

Jim said he loves his time acting, especially at Towngate. “I enjoy acting at Towngate because it gives me a chance to try something I always wanted to do. The staff and directors have been so helpful in letting me pursue my dream.”

And this dream has even extended to acting on television. Jim recently worked on Hulu’s original series, “Castle Rock.” Jim was cast as an inmate in the prison on show, which was shot, in part, at the former West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville.

“I worked on Castle Rock for three days at the penitentiary,” Jim said. “Acting before the camera was a new experience. It was long, hot days with veteran actors and loads of extras. I would love to try it again.”

JIM IN “THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK”

Jim is playing Mr. Kraler in the upcoming Towngate Theatre production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

Mr. Kraler, as he was referred to in Anne Frank’s diary, was really Victor Kugler, one of the people who helped hide Anne and her family during the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam.

Jim is enthusiastic to be a part of this production. “I like how the show develops the characters and shows how terrible things were with the Nazis,” Jim said.

Jim also said that if he was put in the same situation as Mr. Kraler, he would “hope I could do something ‘right’ like he did.” “I don’t think I would have had the courage he had in jeopardizing his own wellbeing,” Jim added.

When he is not performing, Jim said he likes to golf and exercise when he can, but traveling to see his four grandchildren is his favorite activity.

ABOUT THE PLAY

“The Diary of Anne Frank” is one of the most famous and haunting stories to emerge from the 20th Century. The memoirs of this young Jewish girl, forced to hide in an attic for nearly two years to escape Nazi persecution, are an essential part of how we remember one of the darkest periods of our human history.

GET TICKETS AND SEE THE SHOW

Towngate Theater presents “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett September 21-23 & 28 & 29. Curtain is at 8pm. A 3pm matinee takes place Sunday, September 23.

Admission is $12.50/$11 OI members. Purchase tickets online, by calling 304-242-7700 or at the door, if available.