Creating an Annex with Light
With The Diary of Anne Frank, we wanted to establish the different rooms of the Annex with the help of lights since the stage was semi-thrust and walls/flats could not be used. Platform levels also helped differentiate between the rooms and the treatment of the floor as well. Since the actors were on stage the entire run of the show, we couldn’t just black out a room that the main action wasn’t happening in; we had to walk the fine line of brightening the active room and dimming the rest.
Different times of day were also utilized through the show; candlelight, night time, and midday were challenges to overcome. Finally, as a surprise for the ending, after Mr. Frank’s moving monologue, black lights were lit and words appeared on the floor, symbolizing all of the words that Anne wrote in her diary and that they had been with us all this time.
This production of The Diary of Anne Frank was performed at the Evergreen Playhouse in February, 2023.
