Performances
Our live performances offer schools and communities the experience of being immersed in the story of Anne Frank and interacting with professional actors, directors, and producers. Research has demonstrated that after seeing a live theatrical performance, students demonstrated greater tolerance and improved ability to read and respond to the emotions of others. In 2023 we held 49 performances for 7500 people in 12 states, and we are on track to increase our reach by 30% in 2024!
"Conversations with Anne"
Conversations with Anne is our signature one-act solo show, inspired directly from Anne’s diary. Ideal for student and family audiences, the program provides a uniquely personal glimpse into Anne’s time in hiding. After the performance, the actor playing Anne answers questions from the audience in character, giving children a chance to connect the present with the past, by imagining they are having a conversation with Anne Frank herself.
"Letters from Anne and Martin"
Letters from Anne and Martin is a unique production that combines the iconic voices of Anne Frank and Martin Luther King, Jr., both of whom were born in 1929 yet seemingly represent drastically different times and cultures. Developed from excerpts from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” this piece evokes the important messages from these legendary figures, as they write of their hopes and plans for a peaceful and unified world.
"Diary" Cast Workshops
The most popular stage adaptation of The Diary of a Young Girl has told the story of Anne Frank to audiences young and old for over 60 years. Today it remains a staple for theatre companies that wish to show the world the lasting relevance of her story. In our AFC Cast Workshops, actors and production team members putting on The Diary of Anne Frank in their local communities will learn about:
- the real people behind the characters of the play,
- the relationships among them, and
- the differences between the theatrical adaptation and the actual history, which can then spark discussions about the overall vision of production.
Through an informative session in a discussion setting, actors and production members will grow in their understanding of the world of the play (the political, economical and cultural climate) as well as the stories of the real people hidden away in the Annex and those who helped them. They will have information and details about the environment and lives of the characters that may not be apparent in the script but can enrich the production and bring it to life for audiences. Workshops available for 60 to 120 mins.
Our Actors
Alexandra Gellner
Alexandra Gellner (Anne Frank) is an actor, collaborator, and teaching artist who hails from Northern California and is now based in Brooklyn. She received her MFA in Acting from The New School for Drama. Ever since Alexandra first read Anne Frank’s diary at a young age, she has endeavored to spread the practice and importance of empathy through theatre and film. She is delighted and humbled to now be working alongside the team at the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect to carry out our mission and to honor Anne’s legacy. New York City credits include As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet (The Cradle Theatre Company); Pericles (The New Ensemble Workshop); Pants & Skirts (The Barrow Group); Coffee & Biscuit (HERE Arts SubletSeries, NYC Fringe); Family Business (HB Studios); Hamlet, Chained Woman, The Spider & The Wasp, The Trojan Women, Execution of Justice (The New School for Drama). Other credits: Same Time Next Year, Wait Until Dark, Crimes of the Heart (Ferndale Rep); Oleanna (Article 19: Birmingham, UK). Film: Adherence (Best Actress in a Short- FirstGlance Film Festival Philadelphia), Turnings, Turncoat, Escape in Time. New Media: Brooklyn: For Real. Alexandra is also a puppeteer. For more, visit alexandragellner.com
Olivia Konteatis
Olivia Konteatis is a Manhattan based actress and singer. She is incredibly honored to tell Anne’s story. The more she reads of Anne’s work and her incredibly creative mind, the more she falls in love. Olivia is a graduate of NYU Tisch, The New Studio on Broadway. Recent credits include: I Want A Country (NY Fringe Festival), Matt & Maddie (Midtown International Theatre Festival), Fun Home, Merrily We Roll Along, Idomeneus (NYU Tisch). Olivia is from New Jersey and is a proud first generation American! Her family’s roots are in Cyprus and Ireland. oliviakonteatis.com
For more info
By hosting these programs, you can bring your community together and become stewards of Anne’s spirit and legacy. For more information about hosting a performance in your community, please contact us at 212.431.7993, or email performances@annefrank.com
These and other Anne Frank Center educational programs are made possible in part through funding from:
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