I Am Anne Frank

Jan 3 - 6; WSU’s Black Box Theater
Libretto by Enid Futterman; Music by Michael Cohen;
Stage direction and design by Ben Krywosz
Vanessa Muras Gamble, Joel Liestman, and Jill Dawe.
Nautilus Music-Theater, Winona State University department of Theatre & Dance, and Theatre du Mississippi present.

Vanessay Muras Gample and Joel Liesetman in the Nutilus Music-Theater production of I Am Anne Frank

Nautilus Music-Theater’s Ivey award-winning production of I Am Anne Frank opened tonight at Winona State’s blackbox theater for a four-day run. This musical adaption of Anne Frank’s famous diary is the story of a young girl standing tip-toe on the edge of her future during a time of hatred and intolerance. The play combines spoken excerpts from Anne’s diary with songs that reveal the power of her inner life. Fully faithful to its source material, Anne’s famous chronicle of two Jewish families secreted in a cramped garret in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation is still as suspenseful and moving as ever. Her writing is propelled by an undying faith in the goodness of people. This heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting story stirs our deepest emotions as it insists upon honoring the endurance of the human spirit. Winona native Vanessa Gamble portrays Anne Frank in this production.

New York critics called Futterman and Cohen’s work “A moving, poignant, and in every sense tasteful piece of musical theatre... beautiful, flawless... this is what theater is all about.” Nautilus’ production earned rave reviews from critics and audiences alike when it premiered in 2006. The production won a coveted Ivey award, which noted that “the impressive artistic contributions of the talented cast, combined with the matchless vision of the directors, made Nautilus production of I Am Anne Frank a stunning collaboration of fine acting, sharp stage direction, effective lighting, and gorgeous music-a wonderful blend of music and acting, and an innovative way of telling an important story.”

Visit Theatre du Mississippi online for times and ticket information: www.theatredumississippi.org.