http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/04/18/a-new-understanding/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:51:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/04/18/a-new-understanding/#comment-222 Mon, 07 May 2007 16:49:26 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2007/04/18/a-new-understanding/#comment-222 I went to see the play last night, wandering about how this adaptation would influence my understanding of Anne's story as one of the Holocausts most heard of voices. Watching the movie, a long time ago left me with an undefined feeling of emptiness, I almost felt like her message passed by me in an odd way, like I couldn't connect with her inner world but only with the dark reality. And in light of the facts, that last line in the diary about the human nature being good in essence made me somewhat angry, because it seemed like pure moral propaganda, a glimpse of hope at the end, so that the audience doesn't leave disappointed. But Tina Landau's adaptation and the brilliant performance of the cast gave me that understanding. It was a very powerful inside to Anne's world. It was a turn around for me, as I realized that those people could have been us, their reactions, their emotions, their sufferance could have been ours. The amazing facets of their experience were revealed in an undeniable way: the characters became real on stage; there were no more borders between the two worlds. They recreated the emotions with such intensity that I felt guilty leaving my seat during intermission, or continuing with my dinner plans after the play, or taking my life as it is now for granted. Anne made us face a dark reality, in a sense of human nature contemplation. After this I couldn't hold my thoughts to myself, I felt almost like the characters had invaded my mind asking for their right to be remembered. The only thing that makes us any different from them is that we have the power to never let that happen ever again, that we can speak up their voices. I want to congratulate the entire team, for their talent and efforts! I went to see the play last night, wandering about how this adaptation would influence my understanding of Anne’s story as one of the Holocausts most heard of voices. Watching the movie, a long time ago left me with an undefined feeling of emptiness, I almost felt like her message passed by me in an odd way, like I couldn’t connect with her inner world but only with the dark reality. And in light of the facts, that last line in the diary about the human nature being good in essence made me somewhat angry, because it seemed like pure moral propaganda, a glimpse of hope at the end, so that the audience doesn’t leave disappointed.
But Tina Landau’s adaptation and the brilliant performance of the cast gave me that understanding. It was a very powerful inside to Anne’s world. It was a turn around for me, as I realized that those people could have been us, their reactions, their emotions, their sufferance could have been ours. The amazing facets of their experience were revealed in an undeniable way: the characters became real on stage; there were no more borders between the two worlds. They recreated the emotions with such intensity that I felt guilty leaving my seat during intermission, or continuing with my dinner plans after the play, or taking my life as it is now for granted. Anne made us face a dark reality, in a sense of human nature contemplation. After this I couldn’t hold my thoughts to myself, I felt almost like the characters had invaded my mind asking for their right to be remembered.
The only thing that makes us any different from them is that we have the power to never let that happen ever again, that we can speak up their voices.
I want to congratulate the entire team, for their talent and efforts!

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