AUDITION NOTICE
The Diary of Anne Frank
Youth Wing, Mainstage, Drama
by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, Adapted by Wendy Kesselman
Auditions are for students in grades 7-12 and will be held Monday, Nov. 17 at 7pm, and Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7pm
Performance Dates: Feb. 13-21, 2026
For additional information, please contact the director at raby.james@gmail.com.
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 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. Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of the original, Pulitzer Prize award-winning script by Goodrich and Hackett draws from previously unpublished parts of Anne Frank’s real-life diary, allowing the audience to experience Anne in a way that breathes life into this passionate, complex young woman, allowing us to share her relatable experience of adolescence as a familiarly modern teenager.
For nearly two years, Anne, her father, mother, and sister, joined with the Van Daan family and Mr. Dussel, to hide in a secret annex space above her father’s former office in Amsterdam, as the Nazis deported the Jews of Holland to their deaths. In her secret attic, Anne comes of age: she laughs, plays, fights with her mother, and falls in love for the first time. In spite of her oppressive circumstances and the horrors that surround her, Anne’s spirit transcends, as she voices her belief, “in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” Anne’s dynamism, her luminous spirit, and her story of resilience continue to resonate deeply, making her story as vital today as when her diary first was published. “Anne Frank” is more significant than ever with the cries of racism, anti-Semitism, and increased white nationalism.
Role Breakdown
Anne Frank: Female. The youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank, Anne is a lively, intelligent girl. Talkative, hopeful, strong willed, persistent. Accused of always joking. Curious, idealistic, cheerful on the outside but introspective on the inside. She is terrified but optimistic throughout the two years they are in hiding and tries to make the best of the situation. As her diary reveals, she is creative, and highly imaginative. She is entering puberty and this is a time of awakening for her.
Epilogue: Anne was deported to Auschwitz in 1944 and later sent to Bergen-Belsen, where she died of typhus in early 1945, just weeks before the camp was liberated. Her diary, preserved by Miep Gies and later published by Otto Frank, has become one of the world’s most important accounts of the Holocaust.
Mr. Otto Frank: Male. Anne and Margot’s father. Thoughtful, patient, and gentle, he is respected as the calm leader of the group in hiding. He works to maintain peace, often acting as a mediator during conflicts in the annex. Deeply devoted to his family, especially protective of Anne, whom he understands in ways others do not. Unlike many around him, he tries to remain levelheaded, rational, and hopeful even in desperate circumstances. His quiet strength and compassion make him the emotional anchor of the annex.
Epilogue: Otto Frank was the only member of the annex to survive the Holocaust. After the war, he returned to Amsterdam, where Miep Gies gave him Anne’s diary. He dedicated the rest of his life to publishing and preserving his daughter’s words, ensuring that her voice would be heard by the world.
Margot Frank: Female. Quiet, polite, studious, reserved. Anne’s older sister, Margot is much more like her mother than Anne. She is a grounded, mature, and well-behaved young woman--the temperamental opposite of her sister Anne. Deeply considerate and absolutely terrified, Margot wants to be as little trouble to her parents as possible.
Epilogue: Margot was also sent first to Auschwitz and then to Bergen-Belsen, where she died of typhus in early 1945, shortly before her sister Anne.
Mrs. Edith Frank: Female. Anne’s reserved and perhaps worrisome/nervous mother, Mrs. Frank loves Anne, but she wishes she were more proper and polite, like her sister Margot. She grows concerned about Anne’s rambunctious behavior. Seen as unsympathetic by Anne, Mrs. Frank and Anne are not close.
Epilogue: Edith Frank was deported to Auschwitz, where she died of starvation and exhaustion in January 1945, only weeks before the camp’s liberation.
Mr. Hermann Van Daan: Male. A former business partner of Mr. Frank who helped the Frank family when they first immigrated to the Netherlands. Irritable and very paternalistic towards his son. Sometimes called childish by his wife, he is often critical of others.
Epilogue: Hermann van Pels (Mr. Van Daan in the play) was deported to Auschwitz. He was murdered in the gas chambers shortly after arrival in October 1944.
Mrs. Petronella Van Daan: Female. Mr. van Daan’s wife. She is a proud high-status woman who longs to keep the connection to her parents and her past life. She demands to be treated with the utmost respect. She loves her husband, but the relationship is not what she would want it to be.
Epilogue: Auguste van Pels (Mrs. Van Daan) was deported to Auschwitz, then transferred to other camps. She is believed to have died in the spring of 1945, possibly during transport to Theresienstadt.
Peter Van Daan: Male. Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan’s son. Peter is a shy, awkward boy. Protective, kind heart, frustrated easily. Believes at first Anne is a pain in the neck, he soon becomes a friend and confidant for her, and they share their first kiss together.
Epilogue: Peter van Pels (Peter Van Daan) was forced on a death march from Auschwitz to Mauthausen concentration camp, where he died in May 1945, just days before the camp was liberated.
Mr. Albert Dussell: Male. Former dentist. Difficult to get along with, he is described as a worrier. He tells it like it is and shares a room with Anne, much to both of their discomfort and anger.
Epilogue: Fritz Pfeffer (Mr. Dussell in the play) was deported to Auschwitz and later transferred to Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg, where he died in December 1944.
Miep Gies: Female. Helper to the people in the annex. Kind-hearted, peaceful, hopeful. Brave, courageous but modest and doesn’t think of herself as a hero. Provides food, supplies, news and support for all that live in the secret annex.
Epilogue: Miep Gies continued to live in Amsterdam after the war. She safeguarded Anne’s diary and later worked with Otto Frank to ensure its publication. She lived to be 100 years old, passing away in 2010.
Mr. Kraler: Male. A businessman who works with Miep to help protect the people in hiding, Mr. Kraler risks his life to help his friends.
Epilogue: Victor Kugler (Mr. Kraler in the play) was arrested for helping the Franks but survived imprisonment. After the war, he lived in the Netherlands and later in Canada, where he died in 1981.
Extras
Although the script places these three characters at the end of the show, the director will integrate their presence into other parts of the story. These roles are exceedingly important. Those who play these parts will be given a very flexible rehearsal schedule, but time will be spent on character development and scene timing.
First Man: German Nazi in uniform.
Second Man: Dutchman sympathetic to the Nazi cause.
Third Man: Dutchman sympathetic to the Nazi cause.
Auditions at ACT
ACT encourages everyone to come and audition. Requirements for each production can differ. Please select the production you are interested in for requirements and necessary forms.
Scripts for plays are sometimes available to borrow from the box office within 3 - 4 weeks of auditions with a $10 deposit. Scripts must be returned before auditions. Deposits will be refunded for scripts returned in good shape. We do not lend librettos for musical productions but will provide information regarding the music on the audition page for each respective musical.
Productions at ACT are cast without regard to ethnic heritage unless a specific background is essential to the theme and meaning of the play (contextually specific/playwright’s requirements). The majority of productions are contextually neutral, including historical works.
ACT cast and crew positions are open to all members of our community. If actors of a particular ethnic heritage must perform roles, it will be indicated in the character description.
Interested in auditioning or joining a production crew? Download one of our forms. Print and bring the form to auditions or email it to info@aikencommunitytheatre.org.
Future Auditions
You Can't Take It With You (Comedy) Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026 at 3pm and Monday, Jan 26 at 6pm
Fame (Musical) Sunday, Feb. 15 at 7pm, and Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 at 7pm
Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood (Comedy) Sunday, May 3 at 3pm, and Monday, May 4 at 7pm