As the sound of feet disappeared, the lights gradually faded leaving the stage dark and empty. Just seconds before, the actors’ chatter and laughter came abruptly to a halt as the Nazi soldiers marched onto the stage to take the Frank family and their friends to their death.

On Sept. 28 I got the opportunity to see “The Diary of Anne Frank” at the Olney Theater with my fellow sophomore class. The play was shown in the small black box theater that seats only around 150 people.  

My first impression when I walked into the Olney Theater was that it was a very small and intimate space. There were only a few rows of seats and a set that took up about half of the room. I had only ever read a number of passages from “The Diary of Anne Frank,” but I felt as if the set had fully captured the essence of the secret annex the Frank family had been living in hiding for so long.

The set looked very realistic, containing pictures of the real Anne and her older sister Margot as well as furniture that looked worn. The set was divided into five main spaces: a kitchen, a living room, the attic, Anne and Margot’s room and a wall with doors giving the impression that there were spaces beyond where the audience could see. The fact that I was only able to see Anne’s room added to the feeling that I was seeing things from Anne’s perspective.

One of the stronger aspects of the play was the acting. I felt that through both the uplifting scenes and the difficult scenes, actress Carolyn Faye Kramer played the lead role of  Anne Frank very well. There were times when I related to Anne and times where I just could not imagine how I would feel if I were in her shoes. Sometimes she was bored and longing to go outside, which I found to be very relatable. There were, however, moments when I found Anne to be too perky and rather unrelatable.

Although I really liked Anne, my favorite character was her father Otto Frank, played by actor Paul Morella. He was a very likable character and I connected to him easily. He was a good father to Anne even in situations when it was hard to be a good person, let alone a good parent. I felt that Morella did a really good job portraying Otto. Even though I knew that the Frank family was going to be caught, this does not stop me from feeling sympathetic for Otto at the end of the play. Morella’s acting made me feel like I was in Otto’s position. I found that Morella easily convinced the audience that he was as fun, caring and kind as the real Anne Frank described her father in her diary.

When it came to the characters’ wardrobe, the costumes brought a whole new aspect of personality that allowed the characters to come to life. Anne was often dressed in bright clothing that matched her outgoing, perky and sometimes slightly annoying personality, which is why many people in the annex often got frustrated living with her. Margot, who often seemed like Anne’s polar opposite, kept all her emotions and thoughts to herself which is why her clothing was very drab and reserved.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this play to anyone, even if they haven’t read “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Whether or not you have read the book does not matter because the play makes it feel as if the story is being told to you first-hand by Anne Frank herself. Sitting in the audience, I did not feel as if I were watching a play, rather I felt as if I was living in the annex with all the characters and sharing their experiences with them.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” is playing at the Olney Theater through Oct. 23, 2016. To purchase tickets go to https://secure.ticketsage.net/websales.aspx?u=olney&evtid=14233.