Riverside - Actors need applause. It's what we crave. Sure, we talk about creating art and advancing social issues and all that, but there is no question that every actor loves the applause of an appreciative audience. That moment when the lights go down and the show is over... you're in the dark and awaiting that spontaneous eruption of applause... such a sweet moment. But every once in a great while, there is a sweeter moment: the audience's utter and complete silence. The audience was silent as the lights faded on Riverside's production of The Diary of Anne Frank Saturday night. We were silent as the actors quietly moved to their places offering us a final tableau of the men, women and children who hid in that attic in Amsterdam. We were silent because our collective group knew silence was the correct way to honor Anne and Margot, Otto and Edith, the Van Daam's, and of course, Dr. Dussel. When we did applaud, it was a reserved applause, one that offered appreciation to the actors for their work while still respecting the immense moment in history this play brought to life for us.
Riverside's production of this newest version of the story of Anne Frank's story was nearly perfect. The only issue I had was with the too loud voiceovers of parts of the diary. They shook us out of the moment of the play and I wished director Mark Hunter had allowed Natalie Kropf to speak the words of Anne's diary every time. That, however, was a small issue and one that did not overly distract from this fine performance.
Kropf was mesmerizing as Anne. She charted a very definite journey for the audience taking us from a joyful if immature Anne to a more mature girl who was beginning to really spread her wings and fly. This version of the play, which includes passages Anne Frank's father Otto removed from earlier versions, offers the audience a more fully realized Anne. Her perfectly normal frustration with her mother provides an added tragedy to the play as we know Anne and Edith will never have the chance to move past that angry time that so often happens between mothers and daughters in the teenage years. (I wonder if anyone else was remembering Riverside's Raising Medusa production from last season?) The play also shows us Anne coming to terms with her own emerging sexuality, which again reinforces that Anne's humanity. And while the play emphasizes her humanity instead of making her out to be a heroic figure, it also makes it quite clear that this girl was a simply amazing writer, whose life was cut unforgivably short. Kropf managed Anne's journey perfectly, from the joy to the anger to the sorrow. She became Anne and we were entranced.
The rest of the ensemble was also excellent. Kristy Hartsgrove as Mrs. Van Daan offered us some wonderful humor in the show, but she also handled every intense moment with ease. A particularly wonderful scene between Hartsgrove and Tim Budd, who played Mr. Van Daan, was her comforting him after he had been found stealing food. This somewhat frivolous character showed another side in this scene, and Hartsgrove knew exactly how to use the moment to the greatest effect.
Andrew Dawson portrayed Otto Frank with a quiet strength that was moving. Ron Clark's Mr. Dussel the dentist offered some comedy as well as providing added tension to the story. Otto Frank's explosion at Dussel as Dussel is rationing the food was perfectly directed by Hunter and acted by Dawson, for maximum impact. Alec Hynes as Peter and Lindsay Tornquist as Margot round out the main cast. Tornquist's Margot providing a wonderful contrast to the Anne. Peter is another character who had to grow over the course of the play, and Hynes provided us with a more mature and confident Peter at the end of the show.
There were no false steps in this show. Perfectly paced, excellently acted, with a realistic and cleverly built multi-level set, this is one show you do not want to miss.
Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.
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