Hull High School
Director of Theatre Arts
180 Main Street, Hull, Massachusetts 02045
(781) 925-8001
Fax (781) 925–3071
Jsullivan2@town.hull.ma.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR
MORE INFORMATION:
October 11, 2017 Jim
Sullivan (781) 925-8001
Re: Hull High School Theatre
Arts’ Fall Include The Diary of Anne Frank and Annual Rake & Take
Fundraiser
(HULL) – On November 3rd
& 4th, Hull High School Theatre Arts proudly presents The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett,
newly revised by Wendy Kesselman.
Curtain time is 7:30pm
with an additional 2pm matinee on Saturday.
Performed at the Joseph C. Doniger Auditorium at Hull High School, 180
Main St., Hull. Tickets are $10 for
reserved seating ($8 for Seniors and Students) when purchased in advance, and
$12 ($10 for Seniors and Students) when purchased at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance online
only at https://tinyurl.com/HHSTATix-18. Group rates
are available by calling 781-925-8001.
Last spring, Jim Sullivan,
Director of Theatre Arts chose this show after a student told him of some
anti-Semitic comments that were made in her classroom. The student confided that she wasn’t so much
upset by the words, and despite being reassured by the action taken by her
teacher and administration, she felt that our country was reverting back to a
time where such acts were becoming more common place and people are feeling
emboldened to voice their prejudices and bigotry. Said Sullivan, “I knew right then we had to
do this show. I wanted to show the
students that theatre is a vehicle of expression that can promote dialogue in
their school and community. The
incidents this past summer in Charlottesville and throughout the country
reaffirmed the need to remind people of this story and how it relates to the
world today.”
The Diary of Anne Frank was first written by Hollywood screen writers Frances
Goodrich and Albert Hackett in 1955 based on the book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. It won 3 Tony Awards including Best Play and
the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 1997,
Wendy Kesselman adapted the show for a Broadway revival. Kessleman did away with a lot of the more
romantic essence of the story and focused in on some of the bitter realities of
the Frank and van Daan families living in hiding to escape being deported to
concentration camps by the Nazis. The
powerful message of having faith in humanity despite the suffering caused by
and inflicted upon so many remains.
During the Holocaust of World War II, over 6 million people perished in
the concentration camps. It is estimated
that 1.5 million of them were children. In her diary, Anne expresses her desire to go
on living even after her death. Her
diary has been published in hundreds of languages and read by millions. It is often quoted by world leaders and
pioneers for peace and justice. One of
the most influential books of the 20th century, it has also been
adapted into countless stage and movie versions.
“It’s an honor getting to
play such an important and influential figure,” says Bianca Foresta, a freshman
who plays the role of Anne Frank. “Anne
was such an eloquent writer and so determined, it’s very admirable. The rehearsal process has been a very eye
opening experience.” “I hope families will come to watch this show
together. It’s going to be a very moving
and inspiring experience,” Sullivan added.
A community talk-back is being planned for after the Saturday matinee.
Finally, Hull High School
Theatre Arts will be holding its annual “Rake & Take” fundraiser on
November 10, 11 & 12. Students and adult
supporters will rake your yard and haul the leaves away for a donation of $5 a
bag. The proceeds of this fundraiser supports theatre arts for grades 7-12. This fundraiser, which supplies about half of
the annual funding for theatre arts, is hugely popular in Hull. “We are completely self-funded,” Mr. Sullivan
explains. “So this is a win-win. We get to raise money and you get a great
deal on your pre-winter yard clean-up”. There
are only a limited number of spots, so be sure to sign up early.
For more
information, the public is invited to call the Theatre Arts office at
781-925-8001 or email jsullivan2@town.hull.ma.us.
