The Diary of Anne Frank on Stage at CDS: Nov. 15-17

Grade 7-9 students of The Country Day School will stage The Diary of Anne Frank for the second time in 11 years on November 15-17 in the School’s Performing Arts Centre. According to CDS Head of Drama, Scott Garbe, “with the recent shooting deaths of 11 Jewish worshipers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, we find the story of Anne Frank, tragically, more vital than ever.”
Garbe thinks this is a fitting and honest tribute that, “students Anne’s age perform Anne’s story.” When asked why this production is important both to the students involved as well as the audience, Garbe said: “I’m passionate about the subject matter of the Holocaust and what happened in that moment in history. I believe that by looking at the worst in human nature, we can also see, in sharp contrast, the best of human nature. Anne’s legacy reminds us that what is inevitable is not death but is, in fact, the power of life to renew itself.”
 

Anne Frank had just celebrated her 13th birthday when she went into hiding with her family to avoid Nazi persecution. With her, Anne took her most prized gift, a red-plaid diary. Over the two years she spent in hiding, from her Grade 7 to August of her 9th Grade year, Anne would record moments and observations in her diary that would later challenge, amuse, sadden and inspire millions of readers throughout the world. While Anne physically could not withstand the disease and exhaustion that would consume her in Bergen-Belsen just weeks before the camp was liberated, her spirit, preserved in her diary, could not be extinguished. It is hard to imagine a more fitting way to honour Anne’s continuing impact than by having students her age perform her story.
 
Tickets are $15 and available online at www.cds.on.ca/tickets and at the door for all three performances – two evening shows on Thursday and Friday, November 15 and 16 at 7:00 pm and one matinee on Saturday, November 17 at 1:30 pm. Proceeds from the sale of strawberries at the concession stand and Saturday matinee ticket sales will go toward the Anne Frank House in honour of those who perished in the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Congregation shooting and to help rebuild their synagogue.
 
Please note: As is well known, The Diary of Anne Frank contains emotional content, discussion of war, represents political discord and addresses the effects of the Holocaust. The individual sensitivity of younger audience members and the questions they may ask about Anne’s story and fate should be considered by families who are attending. Though the production uses no graphic content - images and costumes carefully chosen to represent and evoke the history of the period with authenticity are used and may be unsettling for audience members whose lives have been touched by the tragic events of the Holocaust
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Land Acknowledgment

The Country Day School wishes to recognize and acknowledge the land on which the school operates. Our nearest Indigenous Nations are now the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Chippewas of Georgina Island. The Dish with One Spoon Wampum covenant is often cited as an example of the shared responsibility for caring for these lands among the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples who would call these their traditional territories. CDS respects the relationship with these lands and recognizes that our connection to this land can be strengthened by our continued relationship with all First Nations, by acknowledging our shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.

School Information

13415 Dufferin Street King, Ontario L7B 1K5 
(905) 833-1220 

communications@cds.on.ca
admissions@cds.on.ca

Founded in 1972, The Country Day School is a co-educational private school offering programs in JK-12 and located on 100 acres north of Toronto in King.

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