Published more than 70 years ago, “The Diary of Anne Frank” teaches crucial lessons about hatred, authoritarianism, perseverance, the human spirit and hope.
A subsequent theatrical production brought the Dutch teenager’s story to the stage, dramatizing visually for audiences the horrors and toll that two years of hiding takes on a family.
In that sense, “The Diary of Anne Frank” is timeless.
But theater is never static. When Staples Players presents their production later this month, it will look different from the one they staged 19 years ago.
David Roth and Kerry Long directed that version too. This one is shorter — 80 minutes — and includes new text, in an adaptation by the playwright.
Sara Stanley, as Anne Frank, writes in her diary. (Photo/Kerry Long)
It is at least as relevant now as it was 2 decades ago, the directors say. And not just because so many Holocaust survivors have died since then.
“With the rise of hatred around the world, this is a good time to tell the story of what happens when it goes unchecked,” Long says.
“The Franks were an educated, well-to-do family. And if this could happen to them …”
“This is not a play about evil, though,” Roth notes. “It’s about surviving in the face of evil. We’ve emphasized with the actors that this is a story of resilience, of people coming together in adversity. There is something in these characters that everyone can relate to.”
“Anne Frank” actors, in the annex. (Photo/Kerry Long)
Despite being one of the most powerful stories in modern history, many students today are only vaguely familiar with Anne Frank, Roth says.
Eighth graders in Westport study the Holocaust. They read “Night,” by Elie Wiesel. But not Frank’s diary.
(Thanks to a collaboration between Players and Bedford and Coleytown Middle School, all 8th graders will attend special in-school performances of the show.)
Roth and Long’s actors have been surprised to find that a teenager not so different from them could live in an attic for more than two years.
And do more than just survive. Anne Frank also fell in love.
As part of their preparation, the directors took the cast to an Anne Frank exhibit at New York’s Center for Jewish History. It includes a full-scale replica of the annex.
“It was so powerful for the kids to walk through,” Long says. “They got a much better understanding of Holland during the war, and what the Franks went through.
“A lot of them bought the exhibit book. One of them said it was the best museum they’d ever been to.”
Staples Players, at the Center for Jewish History. David Roth and Kerry Long are standing, 3rd and 4th from left.
Though being quarantined for long periods of time with their family during COVID was nowhere near the scale of horror the Franks endured, the young actors do bring that perspective to their characters.
But they also realize that the show will have special resonance for older audience members.
Players’ previous performance of “Anne Frank,” in 2006, drew more people with direct knowledge of the Holocaust — as survivors, or their relatives — than this one will.
However, at least one survivor will see this show. Now 89 years old, they’ll do a talkback after the May 22 perfromance.
When he published his daughter’s diary, Anne Frank’s father Otto said he wanted her story to be read by as many people as possible all over the world.
Anne Frank’s dream was to be a famous writer. In death, she is.
Roth, Long, and the talented teenagers of Staples Players, are keeping her dream, and her father’s wishes, alive and strong.
Last week’s Photo Challenge showed a familiar scene.
But it was also very challenging.
Jerry Kuyper’s image of the edge of a gray building, with a lower one next to it, reminded many readers of the Post Road East/Imperial Avenue corner, dominated by Harding Funeral Home (ground floor) and the Masonic temple (above). (You can see it here.)
I would have said that too. But I’d be as wrong as most readers.
Jerry took the shot from the second floor of Clarendon Fine Art. It shows the Pottery Barn building across Main Street, and next to it West Elm (whose arched windows are the giveaway).
Andrew Colabella, Lynn Untermeyer Miller, Morley Boyd and Matt McGrath are the 4 readers who did not take the funeral home/Masons bait. Well done!
Meanwhile, “who” knows where this week’s Photo Challenge is?
If you know where in Westport you’d spot this owl, click “Comments” below.
29 North Avenue — the small saltbox jutting into the sidewalk near Staples High School — is one of the most admired homes in Westport.
Now the entire state knows about it.
On Thursday owner Annette Norton received a Connecticut Preservation Award, for her loving rehabilitation of the c. 1820 Mills house.
At just 930 square feet of low-ceilinged space — and vacant through 7 years of bankruptcy proceedings — it could well have been another teardown.
But the Savvy + Grace owner, working with contractor Javier Pasato, restored, rehabilitated and preserved the historic dwelling. (And the adjacent 19th-century barn, too.)
Congratulations, Annette. Your dedication to Westport — both residential and retail — is greatly appreciated! (Hat tip: Bob Weingarten)
And Wreathing for Community — the non-profit that creates gorgeous wreaths, then gives them to non-profits and lucky residents — has a Mothers Day winner.
Pamela Tinoco nominated her mom.
Wreathing’s Faith Sargent says that Pamela’s mom’s “love, resilience and presence have left a lasting impression on her family. The nomination was heartfelt and full of admiration — a beautiful reminder of the quiet strength so many mothers carry. I’m honored to gift this wreath in her honor.”
Pamela Tinoco, her daughter and the wreath to be delivered to Pamela’s mom.
Some Staples High School sports get more recognition than others.
In the spring, baseball and lacrosse are big.
But hundreds of other athletes play a dozen other sports.
One of the most overlooked is girls water polo.
Today Ryan Allen — the sophomore whose photos and videos of a variety of subjects have impressed many “06880” readers — gives it the attention it deserves.
Speaking of swimming (sort of): The Westport Country Playhouse celebrates the 50th anniversary of “Jaws” on June 2 (7 p.m.).
The classic film will be shown, along with a talk and trivia before and after with artistic director Mark Shanahan. Get your tickets ($25) here.
Not scared? Want more? A Script in Hand play reading of “The Shark Is Broken” — a witty, revealing play about the making of the film (directed by Shanahan) is set for June 9 (7 p.m.). Monday, June 9, at 7 p.m. Get tickets and more information here.
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More than 5 dozen students were inducted into 6 Language Honor Societies recently. Felicidades to:
Società Onoraria Italica (Italian): Cooper Brundige, Sofia DiLeo, Uzi Greenman, Gabriel Hellmann, Carly Mulhern, Benjamin Peterson, Isabellal Pirkl, Myla Saperstein, Riley Sklar.
Delta Epsilon Phil (German): William Enquist, Thomas Nowak, Skye Selva, Matthewe Tybur.
Zhōngwén Róngyù Xuéhuì (Chinese): Danie Arava, Lila Boroujerdi, Ben Esser, Natalia Garment, Jay Hari, Miles Khan, Olivia Morgeson, Stella Nguyen, Olivia Saw, Rebecca Schachter, Rajan Sekhar, Andreson Seo, Brooke Shaughnessy, Michael Wang, Andersen Ye, Connor Yuan.
Associatonem Ad Promovendum Studium Latinum (Latin): Tanush Arora, Annie Bowman, Catherine Campagnino, Ava Carter, Samantha Hermus, Drew Hill, Nelly Kaminski, Olivia Kuliga, Mina Leon, Dhilan Patel, Jake Shufro, Sophie Smith, Oliver Vynerib.
Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (Spanish): Isabel Alfageme, Emma Asiel, Kevin Cano, Sofia Donroe, Kate Finger, Owen Goldfarb, Abigail Kane, Christian Michaels, Sydney Minervini, Sophia Novello, Devyn Peffer, Rei Seltzer, Taylor Serotta, Isabelle Wasserman.
Société Honoraire de Français (French): Kate Bulkeley, Penelope Eisenberger, Gunnar Eklund, Andi Jacobs, Isabel Jo, Souleye Kebe, Graysen Peters, Daniella Sacchetti, Maria Stiber.
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You may not have heard of the “J vs. K Book Tour.”
But your kid sure has.
The other day, it took the Library by storm. Best-selling authors and Newbery Award winners Kwame Alexander (“The Crossover”) and Jerry Craft (“New Kid”) took over the Trefz Forum to celebrate comics, creativity, and the magic of collaboration.
“J vs. K” is the latest book project from Alexander and Craft. The illustrated story features 2 talented 5th graders — one a writer, the other a drawer — going head to head in a creative competition for the ages.
As part of the book launch, the writers are traveling the country in a special van, talking to elementary and middle school students.
The crowd of 300 at the Library came from Dunbar School in Bridgeport, ESL students from Central High School in Bridgeport, Marvin Elementary in Norwalk, and Wooster Middle School in Stratford.
The public is invited to the Westport Police Department’s promotional ceremony (May 23, 4 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).
David Farrell will be sworn in as police chief. Also on stage for promotions: deputy chief David Wolf, captains Jillian Cabana and Eric Woods, and detective Rachel Hall.
Westport’s next police chief: David Farrell.
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Jack Krayson opened his pool opened on Friday.
It will be cleaned tomorrow.
In the meantime, it’s the perfect algae-ridden environment for this guy.
And his photo is the perfect image for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(Photo/Jack Krayson)
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And finally … Johnny Rodriguez — one of country music’s first Hispanic stars — died Friday, at 73. Here’s his obituary. (Hat tip: Amy Schneider)
(Happy Mothers Day, to all who celebrate. To celebrate my late mother, or my 2 sisters who are great mothers, please support their son/brother’s blog by making a contribution here. Thank you!)
But — as is often the case with real estate — there’s more there than meets the eye.
“There have always been “off-market sales,” they say. Those are properties that change hands privately.
Off-market sales have existed for quite a while. Any homeowner can choose how to sell their home: a full MLS listing, to a family member, to a buyer directly, to a buyer represented by a buyer agent, to a builder, etc.
Sellers have various reasons for choosing to sell off-market, including privacy, discretion, ease of transaction, convenience, etc.
Not every homeowner is interested in attracting the most money for their property, and multiple bid situations. Many actors impact the decision on how to sell such a large investment.
Today, KMS says, the trend is to start offering a home for sale privately, to test the market and price.
That gives sellers time to properly prepare their home — and themselves — for the sale.
Beyond maintaining privacy, sellers believe this strategy helps drive serious, qualified buyers to their home. That makes the process easier, and less invasive.
Meanwhile — despite volatility in many areas of the American economy — Westport’s real estate market seems largely unaffected.
All markets are hyper-local, KMS emphasizes. In years past, when sales were sizzling nationally, Westport was less active.
Countrywide trends are not indicative of what’s happening in our town.
That’s why — in addition to pricing, preparing and selling a home, and handling all the associated paperwork — realtors also serve as trusted confidantes.
“We all have to be calm” in turbulent times, counsels KMS’ Karen Scott.
“Right now, the world is emotional. We try to help people think logically, and focus on the buying and selling task at hand.”
Clients (and realtors) “should not get caught up in national headlines.We have to focus on what’s happening here.
“People are more cautious, but they’re still buying and selling. Interest rates are higher, but it’s not complete doom and gloom. In Westport, there are still a lot of buyers, and a lack of inventory.”
(“06880” covers the Westport real estate market — and everything else that happens here with homeowners, renters, former residents and visitors. Please click here to support it all. Thank you!)
Back in the day, the area near the Burr Farms baseball field was a playground for an elementary school. In just 4 decades since it closed, nature has taken over. (Photo/Russell Sherman)
Veterans of Foreign War Post 399 is one of the most active spots in town.
With Thursday night jazz, “Elvis” shows, blood drives, meeting space for non-profits, wedding showers and post-memorial service lunches, a lively bar — and of course, resources for veterans of all ages — the VFW is many things, to many people.
Now it’s gained national recognition.
The 105-year-old Joseph J. Clinton VFW Post 399 was chosen as an “All-American Post” by the VFW Department of Connecticut.
The award recognizes exceptional achievement in advancing core VFW programs, and attaining significant membership growth.
Congratulations on the well-deserved honor, to quartermaster Phil Delgado and the entire VFW crew!
Tee off for the VFW/American Legion golf tournament.
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The Westport Library Big Spring Book Sale begins on Friday.
There is something for everyone, of all ages: thousands of gently used books in over 50 categories of non-fiction and fiction, plus DVDs, CDs, vinyl, ephemera, and framed art. Here is a link to specials, hours of the sale and more.
Speaking of the Library: A timely topic — advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment — is the subject of the next Andrew Wilk Presents: Medical Series.
Moderated by longtime Westport internist Dr. Robert Altbaum, and featuring Dr. Lisa Phuong and Dr. Jeanne Capasse of Nuvance Health — the event is set for June 3 (7 p.m., Westport Library).
Theater kids have a great chance this summer to create — and perform — an original play.
And to do it on the historic Westport Country Playhouse stage.
A 2-week Playhouse Playmakers program runs weekdays, August 4-15 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) for middle schoolers.
Students will write, rehearse, and stage the show. They’ll be directed by actor/ playwright/educator Evette Marie White, and actor/songwriter/educator Stacie Morgain Lewis.
The fee of $995 includes technical rehearsal, materials, and 4 tickets to the performance. Need-based scholarships are available. Read more about the program here.
Stacie Morgain Lewis co-leads the program.
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Speaking of entertainment: 1988 Staples High School graduate Kerri Kenney-Silver plays Anne, an unsuspecting divorcée, in “The Four Seasons,” a current Netflix hit.
The “Reno 911!” and “The State” star spoke recently about her current show.
Anne “thought she was set ’til the day she died. When she finds out that is not the case, she becomes completely untethered. You see her go through the 4 seasons of emotion and grief.”
Netflix says: Kenney-Silver portrays a kaleidoscopic range of emotions and pathos as Anne navigates the ups and downs of divorce, and its rippling effects on their close-knit friend group. Take co-star Colman Domingo’s word for it: ‘She’s just incredible. I feel like she can do anything.'”
Kerri Kenney-Silver in “The Four Seasons.” (Photo/Jon Pack for Netflix)
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Speaking (still) of entertainment: What do Meghan Markle and Kadi Lee have in common?
The other day, Kadi — a 1996 Staples graduate — was a guest on the Duchess of Sussex’s podcast.
They chatted about how Kadi co-founded Highbrow Hippie, then became a favored Hollywood colorist, with a very popular product line.
The women discussed “what it means to grow something from the ground up, how to lead with your values, and why staying connected to your community is the ultimate marker of success.”
Kadi Lee (Photo/Liza Voloshin, courtesy Highbrow Hippie)
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Speaking (yet again) of entertainment: Wetport singer/songwriter/guitarist Tom Belknap’s band, Small Craft Warning, just released a new album, “Firefly.”
The band — with Westport singer Elise Gabriel — plays original acoustic music, influenced by the Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter songbook.
Belknap did much of the mixing, using skills learned from Travis Bell in the Westport Library’s Verso Studios. Listen to Firefly on Spotify here.
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TV news is sort of entertainment too, right?
Lonnie Quinn — the Westporter who is chief meteorologist at WCBS-TV, and appears regularly on the “CBS Evening News” — returned to the newsroom on Monday, following a 2-month recovery from a traumatic brain injury.
Speaking of science: Dark matter is one of the greatest mysteries in modern physics. It makes up 84% of the mass of the universe. But more than half a century after its discovery, no one can figure out just what it is.
The General AntiParticle Spectrometer is a new experiment that’s trying.
On May 20 (8 p.m.), the Westport Astronomical Society hosts a talk about it, with Gabriel Lewis Bridges of Columbia University. It will also be livestreamed on YouTube and as a webinar on Zoom.
One of the most visible corners in Westport — North Avenue at Long Lots Road — is also one of the prettiest.
Especially in spring, as today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo shows.
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And finally … as we await the Westport Astronomical Society’s upcoming lecture on dark matter:
(If you can’t find something interesting to do in Westport, you’re just not trying. Or you’re not reading “06880.” If you rely on us to keep you entertained, please support us by clicking here. Thanks!)
Nearly a dozen and a half pieces are shown today. As they do each week, they cover a wide range of mediums, styles and subjects.
All “06880” readers are welcome to submit art. No matter what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
This feature is open to all. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone can contribute.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
Untitled — Newman Poses Preserve (Michael Tomashefsky — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (Joanie Landau — Available for purchase; click here)
Untitled (Steven Parton)
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for purchase; click here)
“The Stillness, Inside And Out” (Nancy Breakstone — Available for purchase; click here)
“Peck’s Ledge” — watercolor on Fabriano paper (Kathleen Burke — Available for purchase; click here)
“Tony the Two Tone Pony” (Patricia McMahon — Available for purchase; click here)
“L’artichaut (The Artichoke) — acrylic on canvas (Moira Ratchford; Available for purchase, $650 framed; click here)
“My Abstact Quilt” — abstract digital painting (Ken Runkel — Available for purchase; click here)
“Enjoy a Pretty Pot” — watercolor and pencil (Ellin Spadone)
“Between the Birch Trees” — encaustic wax, handmade embellished frame (Dorothy Robertshaw; Available for purchase; click here)
“The Three Stages of Retirement” — oil paint pens on canvas (Will Luedke)
As founder and executive director of Bike Westport, Markus Marty wants safer roads in town for bicyclists. (Pedestrians and drivers too!)
He’s not the only one. Kings Highway Elementary School 5th graders also do.
Recently, Workshop students there began studying the town. They came up with many ideas about biking.
After meeting with Markus, and getting a map of Westport from the Planning & Zoning Department, they went to work on a plan.
Then they wrote to “06880.” They said:
We were learning about how Westport’s government operates, and discussing our great town and thinking of ways to improve it.
One of our classmates brought up the lack of bike lanes. We decided to make it our focus. We were thinking of places we could put bike lanes, the benefits, and the challenges.
Markus Marty meets with Kings Highway students.
We think bike lanes would improve our town in many ways. They would make people more healthy, especially children, they would help reduce traffic, they would help the environment, and they would bring our community together.
When it’s warm, we all enjoy biking. But many of us live off or near busy roads such as Woodside Avenue, Newtown Turnpike, and Saugatuck Avenue. Our parents don’t like us going on long bike rides by ourselves. But if Westport had bike lanes, this wouldn’t be a problem.
Bike paths and loops, suggested by KHS students …
We think bike lanes would be a big hit with all Westporters, from children to adults. They would benefit people for many reasons, including health reasons.
Bike lanes would benefit children especially, because it would be a way for kids to go meet up with friends without their parents having to drive them. This would help kids develop a sense of independence, which is a challenge for parents today because of safety.
Kids in town don’t have the same independence as they did when our parents were growing up. With the bike lanes, kids would have more freedom. All kids would benefit from the bike lanes.
… and a close-up of some suggestions.
Bike lanes wouldn’t just help bikers though. It can be infuriating to be stuck behind a biker, but with designated bike paths and routes, the frustration would be less.
Another reason is that many people use their car because biking is dangerous. If more people bike, less cars could cause less traffic.
Sure, it might not stop a whole lot of big traffic, but it could fix traffic building up at red lights. It could also help you make the light, with less cars on the road.
Drivers also don’t have to worry about hitting any bikers that are on the road when there is a specified bike lane.
Multiple other reasons are environmentally focused. One of these is that there are way, WAY less gas emissions than when people are riding in automobiles.
Also, if you are holding onto a bike’s handlebars, it is hard to throw your trash on the ground, so cycling also decreases littering!
Two questions, from Kings Highway students.
Bikes can also go on off road paths, which can be very scenic and enjoyable. These paths are more friendly to the environment, and are also smaller and more natural, leading to less resources expended, more enjoyment, and much less damage to the earth. People would also appreciate nature more, leading to less actions without thinking of outcomes, like littering.
Because of this, bikes are wholly better than cars in terms of keeping our world healthy, and are also enjoyable for parents and kids alike. So, bicycle lanes are important to create for many reasons.
The bike lanes would also impact the whole community. The lanes would bring people together, and neighbors could meet up and ride to schools and other locations together.
One possible way to make this happen is we could create bike buses. They are a type of bike train led by an adult, this would make it possible for lots of students to ride together and it would minimize the danger for the bikers.
A May, 2024 bike event at Kings Highway Elementary School.
The bike lanes would also make it possible for more people, especially families with children, to bike. If more bikers were on the road it would make drivers more aware that it is not only them on the road. This would make the number of accidents for both bikers and drivers decrease, therefore benefiting a large group of Westporters.
We have read a great deal of your past posts and writings on the subject of biking in Westport. We realize that students are an important part of Westport’s future.
We all agree that bike lanes are an important part of many successful communities. Westport does not have access to this luxury. If we had bike lanes all of Westport would benefit.
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