THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
The Broad Stage and Santa Monica Rep present
The Diary of Anne Frank
17\18 SEASON
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
STUDENT MATINEE
WED OCT 11 & THURS OCT 12 10:30 AM Grades 6-8
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
1
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Jane Deknatel Director, Performing Arts Center EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS STAFF Ilaan E. Mazzini, Director of Education & Community Programs Alisa De Los Santos, Education & Community Programs Manager Mandy Matthews, Education & Community Programs Associate Sam Sandoval, Education & Community Programs Assistant Jen Bloom, Curriculum Specialist/Teaching Artist
THE BROAD STAGE 1310 11th Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Box Office 310.434.3200 Fax 310.434.3439 info@thebroadstage.org thebroadstage.org Education and Community Programs at The Broad Stage is supported in part by The Herb Alpert Foundation Bank of the West Barbara Herman in honor of Virginia Blywise The California Arts Council Johnny Carson Foundation City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission the Colburn Foundation The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Leonard M. Lipman Charitable Fund Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Sony Entertainment Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Ziering Family Foundation, a Support Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
2
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Phone 310.434.3560 education@thebroadstage.org thebroadstage.org/education
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Greetings from The Broad Stage! Dear Educators,
Anne started her diary before she and her family went into hiding. After a little over a year in the attic, Anne decided to go back and edit her diary herself with the intention of publication. Her insight and craftsmanship as a young writer are startling. Here and now in this age of extreme documentation on social media, without much editing or reflection, we might take Anne’s lessons to heart and mind. Anne’s process with her diary helped her get to know herself better: it helped temper her anger, develop her wit, and strengthen her powers of observation. It helped her wrestle the big questions with the clarity of persistence. We hope the diary prompts throughout this curriculum provide your students with a place to work out their own questions, and find their own hidden talents, in troubling times. The acting exercises included in this curriculum are intended to be experiential. I have been teaching acting for almost twenty years to students of various ages and abilities; every day I am stunned by how quickly theatre can open hearts and minds. Giving students’ permission to pretend in a more sophisticated way is extremely valuable; I truly hope these exercises empower educators to make space for risk. Feeling the power of oppression and forced silence in the improvisation and vocal exercises might lead to amazing conversations and connections about empathy. Please contact me if you have any questions or hesitancies, or any feedback on how these lesson plans might be more clearly stated or aligned with your curricular goals. Santa Monica Rep will be presenting The Diary of Anne Frank as a staged reading. This honors the words of the original writer; these are written words that brought us the story of a girl and her family. This means the actors and director will need to focus on the sound and feeling of the voices, and smaller facial and body movements to communicate atmosphere and events. The audience will need to listen and be in tune with the actors’ voices, the quality of the ensemble’s listening, and Anne’s words in a more intense way to appreciate the story. Please use the curriculum to prepare your students for the unique challenges and opportunities of “hearing” a play rather than simply “seeing” one. Don’t hesitate to contact the Education & Community Programs team at The Broad Stage with questions or ideas. Very best, Jen Bloom Co-Founder, Santa Monica Rep THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
3
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Santa Monica Rep is thrilled to be back at the Broad Stage, bringing another staged reading to student audiences. Santa Monica Rep’s mission is to use the unique capabilities of theater to contribute to a more intelligent, inquisitive and engaged community. We have been presenting readings, productions and other events on the Westside for 7 years. At every talk-back and classroom visit, we are thrilled to hear the ripple effects of the stories we choose to share. The Diary of Anne Frank serves us as a company to frame difficult conversations about racism, immigration, resistance, and the need for extreme kindness and patience as we navigate the complexities of our current national crises. We hope Anne’s story serves your classroom as well.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Contents Lessons Framework Exercise – 5 Lesson 1: Staged Reading, Creating Characters with Words and Voice – 6 Handout 1: Anne’s Changing Relationship to her Mother – 10 Handout 2: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Herself as a Writer – 11 Handout 3: Anne’s Changing Relationship to Humanity – 12
17\18 SEASON
Lesson 3: Character Collage, A Bundle of Contradictions – 15 Handout 4: Images of Anne Frank – 18 Handout 5: Character Collage – 19 Lesson 4: Escape to the Annex! – 20 Handout 6: Key Facts from PBS – 25 Handout 7: Entries from July 1942 – 26 Handout 8: An Interview with the Director, Sarah Gurfield – 27 Lesson 5: Hiding in the Annex – 29
Additional Resources Background of the Play – 32 About Santa Monica Rep and Co-Founder, Jen Bloom – 33 Glossary – 34
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
4
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
Lesson 2: Conflict in the Attic – 13
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Framework Exercise: The Importance of Diaries This Study Guide will encourage students to think critically and reflect on themes and topics in The Diary of Anne Frank. Encourage students to start a personal journal or diary to keep throughout their reading and discussions of The Diary of Anne Frank. You can also spend some time in your classroom to create personal diaries. Lead students through a warm-up discussion about diaries. Ask students, “Does anyone keep a journal or diary?� Brainstorm a list of reasons on why people keep journals or diaries. How can a diary be useful to learning more about that time period and history? For further insight, complete this free-write activity with your class: 1. Have your students write their feelings about someone (this could be themselves) that they both admire and get irritated with. Give your students 2 minutes to write. 2. Instruct them to write honestly and continuously, as this writing will be immediately destroyed and not read by anyone. 3. Once the students have finished writing, ask them to fold their paper and place it in a sealed envelope. Collect the envelopes from the students. Step 2 1. O nce again, have your students write their feelings about someone (this could be themselves) that they both admire and get irritated with. 2. Instruct them to write as they see fit, given that their writing will be collect by you. 3. Collect the papers and plan to return them to the writer one week later. Ask them to re-read what they wrote. Step 3 (Complete this step one week after you have completed Step 2) 1. Return the papers that you collected in Step 2 to the original writer and ask students to reread what they wrote. 2. Return the envelopes that you collected in Step 1 to the original writer and ask students to re-read what they wrote. 3. Divide the class into groups of 2 or 3. 4. Ask them to discuss the following: How were the two pieces you wrote different? What did you learn about yourself or the person you wrote about? How might reading each piece affect you one year from now? Ten years from now?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
5
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Step 1
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson 1: Staged Reading, Creating Characters with Words and Voice Lesson at a Glance Background: Santa Monica Repertory Theatre will be presenting The Diary of Anne Frank as a staged reading. A staged reading honors the words of the writer. The actors and director will need to focus on the sound and emotion in the voices, and smaller facial and body movements to communicate atmosphere and events. The audience will need to listen carefully to the actors’ voices and words to feel in tune with the characters and follow the story. Lesson Objective: Students learn how to use vocal variety and simple gestures to show how characters change emotionally and intellectually over time. Duration: 50 minutes
17\18 SEASON
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. VAPA Theatre, Grade Seven: 5.2: Demonstrate projection, vocal variety, diction, gesture, and confidence in an oral presentation. VAPA Theatre, Grade Seven: 1.1 Use the vocabulary of theatre, such as playwright, rehearsal, dress rehearsal, run-through, and cold reading, to describe theatrical experiences. Concepts/Vocabulary: Staged Reading - a form of theatre without sets or full costumes. The actors read from scripts, and may sit, stand, or incorporate minimal stage movement Vocal variety - using word inflection, breath and pitch to find portray emotion through language Gesture - a physical movement that communicates a feeling or portrays an image Rehearsal - the time when an actor practices saying lines, moving on set, and feeling the characters’ emotions before performing in front of an audience Theme - a central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art. Plays communicate themes through the production elements, casting, and the actors’ words and movements Guiding Questions: What themes was Anne interested in exploring through writing? How did Anne and her writing change as time passed? How does an actor create a complex, changing character using only voice and gestures?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
6
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
Materials: Handout 1: Anne’s Relationship to her Mother, Handout 2: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Herself as a Writer, Handout 3: Anne’s Changing Relationship to Humanity, pen and paper, or laptop
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson Plan Part 1: Preparing to Perform Actors often prepare to perform by warming up their brains, bodies, and voices. Warm up exercises allow actors to work from a deeper place vocally and emotionally. Go through each of the warm up exercises below with your students. Warm Up #1: Brain Warm-Up 1. Brainstorm themes, plot points, or people from the play 2. Keep a list of suggestions on the board Warm Up #2: Physical Warm-Up 1. Have your students stand up at their desk 2. Do 25 jumping jacks together while counting them aloud 3. Afterwards, place one hand on your belly and one on your heart, and take three deep breaths. Count to 4 on the inhale, hold for 2, count to 4 on the exhale, hold for 2.
17\18 SEASON
1. Have your students stand in a neutral position with their feet shoulder width distance apart and repeat after you. 2. Put your hand on the top of your head and say “I can” in a higher pitched voice. Feel vibrations in your palm. 3. Put your fingers on the front of your throat and say “place” in a medium pitched voice. Feel vibrations in your fingers. 4. Put your hand on your heart and say “my voice” in a lower pitched voice. Feel vibrations in your palm. 5. Put your hand on your belly and say “anywhere I’d like” in a deep voice. Feel vibrations in your palm.
Part 2: Using Voice and Gesture in a Staged Reading Mini Lesson: Using “Word Ball” to Practice Voice and Gesture Round 1 1. Have the class stand in a circle. 2. Ask students to say a word and create a gesture to coincide with that word that communicates a particular feeling. Review the definition of gesture as a class: a physical movement that communicates a feeling or portrays an image. Examples One student says “lightning bolt!” in a deep, powerful way, and points their finger to the ground. The next says “kitty cat” in a purring voice and cleans their face with their hand. 3. Next, everyone should repeat the word and gesture in an exaggerated manner. 4. Repeat this process until every student in the circle has contributed.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
7
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
Warm Up #3: Vocal Warm-Up: I can place my voice anywhere I’d like.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Round 2 1. Have the class stand in a circle. 2. Play “word ball” using the words from Anne Frank that you brainstormed on the board in Warm Up #1. Examples One student says “Fear” in a small voice, and holds his arms with eyes darting. The next student says “Boredom” and brings her fingers to her temples. 3. Have the group repeat each word and gesture in an exaggerated manner. Round 3 1. Have a discussion with your class about the adjectives that could be used to describe the human voice. The adjectives can be technical (e.g. high, low, loud, soft), feelings-based (e.g. happy, sad, irritated), or character-based (e.g. snobby, wise, enthusiastic, open-minded). List the adjectives you have created on the board. 2. Have the students remain in a circle. 3. Ask each student to pick an adjective from the board and say the phrase “I know that” in a tone that reflects that adjective.
Part 3: Using Voice and Gesture to Show Anne’s Changing Relationship with her Mother, Herself, or
17\18 SEASON
There are three different variations of this activity that you can do in your classroom. You can review Anne’s changing relationship to either her mother, herself as a writer, and to humanity. You have the option to discuss all three with your students, or choose the one that correlates best with your own curriculum.
Option 1: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Her Mother Task: Students will practice using vocal variety and gestures as they read excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank. Vocal variety is often used to demonstrate a change in a character. Before you begin the activity below, ask your students to describe the qualities of different voices. What does a youthful, naive voice sound like? What does a more mature, grounded voice sound like? The students can circle or write adjectives on the board that answer these questions. Before beginning the following activity, encourage the students to think about how an actor playing Anne might change her voice over the course of the play. 1. Distribute copies of Handout 1: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Her Mother, and read the excerpts quietly. Ask your students to circle words in the entries that may be fun to say, words that may have more feeling when spoken, and phrases that might have low or high pitch depending on Anne’s age or feeling. 2. After they are done reading, students should choose one or two small gestures to demonstrate what Anne is talking about. 3. P lace your students in small groups and have them rehearse by reading the entries out loud using their vocal variety and gestures. 4. Ask student volunteers to perform a full paragraph in front of the class, using a music stand if possible so their hands are free for gestures. 5. C lassmates should engage in active listening by writing down the words that they hear the performer exaggerate. THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
8
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
to Humanity
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Assessment Criteria: • Learn to use breath, vocal variety, and gesture to communicate • Read slowly and clearly to feel the importance of Anne’s words • Make physical choices to demonstrate feeling Purpose: Students convey Anne’s words and physicality in order to understand her experiences and empathize with her feelings. Reflection Questions How much time has passed between the entries? How was Anne’s voice different in the earlier entry versus the later entry? What has Anne learned?
1. D istribute copies of Handout 2: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Herself as a Writer, and read the excerpts quietly. Ask your students to circle words in the entries that may be fun to say, words that may have more feeling when spoken, and phrases that might have low or high pitch depending on Anne’s age or feeling. 2. After they are done reading, students should choose one or two small gestures to demonstrate what Anne is talking about. 3. Place your students in small groups and have them rehearse by reading the entries out loud using their vocal variety and gestures. 4. Ask student volunteers to perform a full paragraph in front of the class, using a music stand if possible so their hands are free for gestures. 5. Classmates should engage in active listening by writing down the words that they hear the performer exaggerate. Reflection Questions How has reading her diary, and the changes she experienced over time, affected your understanding of her? Has she become more confident in her ability to express herself? How are you like Anne? How is she like every young person? If Anne had had our modern distractions- phones, etc, would her mind have matured as much as it did? Was her forced silence a good teacher?
Option 3: Anne’s Changing Relationship to Humanity 1. Distribute copies of Handout 3: Anne’s Changing Relationship to Humanity, and read the excerpts quietly. Ask your students to circle words in the entries that may be fun to say, words that may have more feeling when spoken, and phrases that might have low or high pitch depending on Anne’s age or feeling. 2. After they are done reading, students should choose one or two small gestures to demonstrate what Anne is talking about. 3. Place your students in small groups and have them rehearse by reading the entries out loud using their vocal variety and gestures. 4. Ask student volunteers to perform a full paragraph in front of the class, using a music stand if possible so their hands are free for gestures. 5. Classmates should engage in active listening by writing down the words that they hear the performer exaggerate. Reflection Questions How did Anne’s impression of Germans as a people shift over the two years? In the face of terrible evil, how did Anne learn “that people are really good at heart”? Was the cost of her life worth her diary and insights? THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
9
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Option 2: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Herself as a Writer
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 1: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Her Mother Sunday, September 27, 1942 Dearest Kitty, Mother and I had a so-called “discussion” today, but the annoying part is that I burst into tears. I can’t help it. Daddy is always nice to me, and he also understands me much better. At moments like these I can’t stand Mother. It’s obvious that I’m stranger to her; she doesn’t even know what I think about the most ordinary things.
17\18 SEASON
I don’t get along with Margot very well either. Even though our family never has the same kind of outbursts they have upstairs, I find it far from pleasant. Margot’s and Mother’s personalities are so alien to me. I understand my girlfriends better than my own mother. Isn’t that a shame? Monday, September 28, 1942 “I’ve learned one thing: you only really get to know a person after a fight. Only then can you judge their true character!” Sunday, January 2, 1944 First paragraph and “I soothe my conscience now with the thought that it is better for hard words to be on paper than that Mummy should carry them in her heart.”
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
10
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
We were talking about maids and the fact that you’re supposed to refer to them as “domestic help” these days. She claimed that when the war is over, that’s what they’ll want to be called. I didn’t quite see it that way. Then she added that I talk about “later” so often and that I act as if I were such a lady, even though I’m not, but I don’t think building sand castles in the air is such a terrible thing to do, as long as you don’t take it too seriously. At any rate, Daddy usually comes to my defense. Without him I wouldn’t be able to stick it out here.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 2: Anne’s Changing Relationship with Herself as a Writer Friday, June 12, 1942 “I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.” Saturday, June 20, 1942
17\18 SEASON
Wednesday, January 12, 1944 “Who would ever think that so much went on in the soul of a young girl?” Thursday, February 3, 1944 “I trust to luck and do nothing but work, hoping that all will end well.” Wednesday, April 5, 1944 “I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that’s inside me!”
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
11
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
“Writing in a diary is a really strange experience for someone like me. Not only because I’ve never written anything before, but also because it seems to me that later on neither I nor anyone else will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year old school girl. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I feel like writing.”
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 3: Anne’s Changing Relationship to Humanity
October 9, 1942 “(Include first two paragraphs) ...Fine specimens of humanity, those Germans, and to think that I am actually one of them!” July 6, 1944 “We’re all alive, but we don’t know why or what for; we’re all searching for happiness; we’re all leading lives that are different and yet the same.”
17\18 SEASON
“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
12
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
July 15, 1944
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson 2: Conflict in the Attic Lesson at a Glance Lesson Objective: Students read, discuss and write sub-textual monologues for Act II, Scene 3 of the play. Duration: 45 minutes Materials: copies of Act II, Scene 3 pp. 86-94, paper, pencil
CCSS Reading, Grade 7.6: Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. CCSS Writing, Grade 7.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. VAPA Theatre, Grade 6: 1.1 Use the vocabulary of theatre, such as action/reaction, vocal projection, subtext, theme, mood, design, production values, and stage crew, to describe theatrical experiences. VAPA Theatre, Grade 7: 4.2 Explain how cultural influences affect the content or meaning of works of theatre. Concepts/Vocabulary: Subtext - an underlying and often distinct theme in a piece of writing or conversation Monologue - a long speech by one actor in a play or movie, or as part of a theatrical or broadcast program Morality - principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior Guiding Questions: What circumstances can make people act contrary to their morality? What brings people to say things they would not normally say? What makes people not say what they are thinking?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
13
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Standards:
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson Plan
Warm-up: Introduction to Anne Frank, her Family, and her diary On the board, have students brainstorm 5-10 words or details they remember about World War II. (These could also be done quietly at their desk on stickie notes and then have everyone put their notes on the board.) On the board, have students brainstorm 5-10 words or details they know about Anne Frank and other people who hid in the Annex: Peter, Mr. Frank, Mrs. Frank, Mr. Dussel, Margot, Mr. Van Daan, and Mrs. Van Daan. (These could also be done quietly at their desk on stickie notes and then have everyone put their notes on the board.) Defining and Understanding Subtext
1. Define and discuss subtext together as a class. Ask students to write examples of subtext in their daily lives on a piece of paper. Ask for volunteers to share some of their examples aloud for the class. 2. Read Act II Scene 3 p.149-162 out loud as a class. 3. Discuss the events of the scene, and what is revealed. Who regrets what they said or did? Who doesn’t say much? Who says more than expected? Why? 4. Ask the students to pick a character and write a sub-textual monologue in the 1st person. The monologue should include thoughts that a character might not say aloud. 5. As an option, have a few students share their monologues to a partner or to the class. Assessment Criteria: • The monologue includes thoughts that the character does not say aloud. • The monologue provides an understanding of the character and their point of view from Act II, Scene 3. Purpose: Students will gain a better understanding of the difference between voice and subtext. They will also understand the forces that make the characters in the Annex lose their temper or discretion. Reflection Questions Do you think that Mr. Van Daan would have done this under normal circumstances? Why or why not? Do you agree with Mrs. Frank losing her temper? Why or why not? Anne could have lost her only friend if the Van Daan’s had to leave. Do you think that is fair? Have you ever been in a situation where you did something you would not have ordinarily done?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
14
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Task: Students will read a scene aloud and discuss and practice the role of subtext in dialogue.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson 3: Character Collage, A Bundle of Contradictions Lesson at a Glance Lesson Objective: Students use their bodies, voices, gestures, quotes from the play and original writing to present “character collages” of Anne Frank. Duration: 30 minutes Materials: Handouts 1-3, Handout 4: Images of Anne Frank, Handout 5: Character Collage, paper and pencils, or laptop
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6: Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts). VAPA Theatre, Grade Seven: 1.1 Use the vocabulary of theatre, such as playwright, rehearsal, dress rehearsal, run-through, and cold reading, to describe theatrical experiences. VAPA Theatre, Grade Seven: 5.2 Demonstrate projection, vocal variety, diction, gesture, and confidence in an oral presentation. Concepts/Vocabulary: Character Development - the process a writer and actor explore to create a complex, human character out of words and ideas Monologues - a speech spoken by one character to her/himself or another character to develop an idea, solve a problem or tell a story Gesture - a physical movement that communicates feeling or images Improvisation - the art or act of improvising, or of composing, uttering, executing, or arranging anything without previous preparation Tableau - a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or from history Guiding Questions: Why does one person say and do so many things that can be in direct contradiction to one another? How does an actor portray a complex and contradictory character?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
15
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Standards:
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson Plan Part 1: What are contradictions? Task: Students will complete acting and writing exercises in order to learn about character contradictions and identify them in The Diary of Anne Frank. Warm Up: Discussion and Word Association
17\18 SEASON
Mini Lesson #1: Writing Monologues 1. Have your students look at the pictures of Anne in the handout and pick an event in the play 2. Ask your students to write a monologue/diary entry in 1st-person as Anne. 3. The monologue should include what Anne is thinking or feeling, and should be full of her opposing sides: her likes and dislikes, her depth and her silliness, her heart and her irritability. Assessment Criteria: • The monologue is at least 50 words. • The monologue includes at least two sets of Anne’s contrasting traits. Purpose: Students understand the meaning of “contradiction” and explore why Anne may have had so many contradictory feelings. Mini Lesson #2: Creating Tableaus Task: In this mini lesson, you and your students will work together to create tableaus of some of the events in The Diary of Anne Frank. A tableau is scene in which the characters are frozen and silent. Thus, the students must express what is going on in the story through their body position, facial expression and focus. 1. Have your students brainstorm events that happen to Anne while she is in the attic and list them on the board. Examples “She writes in her diary.” “She argues with her mother.” “She flirts with Peter.” THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
16
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
1. Read this quote out loud: “Forgive me, Kitty, they don’t call me a bundle of contradictions for nothing!” July 21, 1944 2. Discuss the following with your class: What is a “bundle of contradictions”? How can a person be a “bundle of contradictions”? 3. Have your students stand in a circle. 4. Do a word association on Anne Frank. Students should complete the sentence “She is….” with an accompanying gesture. Students are free to use the words they fill in on Handout 5: Character Collage. Example “She is thoughtful” with chin in hand, staring out a window. 5. The class repeats the word and gesture back to the speaker. 6. Repeat this process until each student in the circle has contributed.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
2. O nce you have a list, break the students into small groups of 3 or 4 and assign each group a different event on your list. 3. Each group will stage a tableau of their event for the rest of the class one at a time. You may need to do some practice tableaus together before sending them off to work. Note: If the tableau is Anne writing in her journal, the other members in her group should act out what she is writing about. 4. The students observing the tableau should identify what is going on and the characters involved in the action. Optional: A student observing the tableau can say “I wonder what ____ is thinking about”. Then, the student playing that character talks for a few seconds about what they are thinking or feeling. Assessment Criteria: • Students demonstrate strong frozen gestures. • Students have committed facial expressions. • Students’ eyes are fixed on some point (another students, an object, or off in the distance). Purpose: Students learn how to use body position, facial expression and focus as alternative communication techniques to voice and gesture.
17\18 SEASON
Task: Students will be working in small groups to make a human collage of Anne as a “Bundle of Contradictions”. 1. Divide your students into groups of 5-7 students. 2. Give each group some quotes from Lesson 1 from Handouts 1-3 and Handout 4: Images of Anne Frank. Students can also use their monologue diary entry from mini lesson #1. 3. Have the group pick 5-10 contrasting declarative sentences from Anne’s writing or their own writing. Each student within the group will read out 1-2 of these sentences in a group presentation to the class. 4. For the presentation, have the students in each group stand in a neutral position in a line at the front of the classroom. 5. One at a time, each student will speak their line(s) using vocal variety and a corresponding gesture, and then freeze in that gesture. The collage should result in a “bundle of contradictions”. Assessment Criteria: • Students demonstrate clear speech, powerful images, and large gestures. • Students’ eyes are focused on another character or point. • Each student has a unique sentence and frozen gesture. • Each student’s speech and gesture contributes to the overall collage. Purpose: Students will explore the many facets of Anne’s personality and understand the circumstances that may have made her a “bundle of contradictions”. Reflection Questions Why do you think Anne is so complicated? Is the pressure of living the Annex making Anne complicated? If so, why? As an actor, how did you show the range of Anne’s feelings? THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
17
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
Part 2: Creating a Character Collage of Contradictions
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 4: Images of Anne Frank
17\18 SEASON
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
18
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 5: Character Collage Students complete the following sentences. They speak their sentence with an accompanying gesture.
I am Anne. (Said together.) I feel . I like . I love .
17\18 SEASON
I despise . Mother makes me feel . Peter makes me feel . Mr. Dussell makes me feel . I believe . I wonder about . When I grow up I’d like to be . I am Anne. (Said together.)
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
19
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
I dislike .
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson 4: Escape to the Annex! Lesson at a Glance Lesson Objective: Students will use their bodies, imaginations and improvised and silent responses, to explore how people act under and react to oppression. Duration: 40 minutes Materials: Paper, pencils, coats and bags that students might have, yellow and red stickie notes, Handout 6: Key Dates from PBS, Handout 7: Entries from July 1942, Handout 8: An Interview with Director, Sarah Gurfield NOTE: Arrange desks like a street, use the perimeter or aisles between desks, or go into a hallway for the experiential part of the lesson
CCSS Writing, Grade 7.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation. VAPA Theatre, Grade Six: 1.1 Use the vocabulary of theatre, such as action/reaction, vocal projection, subtext, theme, mood, design, production values, and stage crew, to describe theatrical experiences. VAPA Theatre, Grade Six: 2.1 Participate in improvisational activities, demonstrating an understanding of text, subtext, and context. VAPA Theatre, Grade Seven: 2.3 Create characters, environments, and actions that exhibit tension and suspense. VAPA Theatre Grade Eight: 2.2 Perform character-based improvisations, pantomimes, or monologues, using voice, blocking, and gesture to enhance meaning. Concepts/Vocabulary: Non-verbal Communication - Communication through visual and wordless clues such as body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye movement and touch Action/Reaction - An acting technique based on natural human behavior. In life, humans naturally react to actions around them; these reactions are not planned, they are instinctual. Actors appear to be showing reactions that are not planned, and must heighten their reactions so the audience sees them Improvisation - the art or act of improvising, or of composing, uttering, executing or arranging without previous preparation. High Stakes - activity or situation that involves a lot of risk or serious consequences Empathy - the ability to identify with another’s feeling Ensemble - a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together. Status (High and Low) - the relative standing of things or persons in a society Empathy - the ability to identify with another’s feelings Guiding Questions: How does it feel to have a secret that would endanger your life if revealed? How does it feel when someone is kind to you? How does it feel to have power over someone else? How does it feel when someone else has power over you? THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
20
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Standards:
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson Plan Part 1: How did the Franks arrive at the Annex? Warm Up: History Review 1. R eview the events that brought the Frank family to hiding in the Annex by either reading Handout 5 about key dates or showing the film clip: http://edu.annefrank.org/annefrankintroductorylesson/filmclip2.html.
3. Ask your students to imagine themselves in the same time period, place, and circumstances as the Franks. Then, ask them to complete a free-write exercise in which they answer the following questions: If you knew you had to leave your home for a long time and go into hiding, what possessions would you bring with you? What would you wear? Make a list of what would fit on your body and in a backpack. Note: Remind the students of the time period and that there are no electronic devices. Part 2: Exploring Action, Reaction and Silent Improvisation Warm Up: The Reaction Game 1. Divide the class into five teams and give each team some space in the room. 2. Ask each team to create five events that would get a dramatic reaction. Examples: Being attacked by a shark while fishing Hitting a home run to win the World Series Watching the lottery and realizing that you have the winning number Getting caught in the rain 3. Have students write the events on small pieces of paper, one event per paper. 4. Collect the pieces of paper from each of the five student groups and mix them up. 5. One at a time, have each student group stand in the front of the room. Randomly select one of the piece of paper and read out the event. 6. The student groups must react to that event. They may vocalize or make sounds in their initial reaction. Then they must show their reaction without using sound. 7. As a class, discuss the following: How do people show their reactions? Was it easy or hard to give an honest reaction, and to improvise, rather than plan? What happened when sound was taken away?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
21
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
2. R ead Handout 6 with the journal entry excerpts from July 8, 1942 and July 9, 1942 out loud or silently. Discuss the following as a class: Who helped the Franks? Who were the Franks afraid of and why? What were they wearing and what were they carrying?
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Mini Lesson: Silent improvisation 1. As a class, discuss a situation when you might not use words to communicate. Examples: You are uncomfortable when someone comes in the room and you indicate to your friend you should both leave without that person noticing. You are goofing off in class with your friend and see the teacher come in but your friend does not. You try to get your friend to go back to work without saying anything. 2. Ask a couple volunteers to demonstrate these or other situations for the class using silent improvisation/non-verbal communication. Coach them through if needed. 3. As a class, discuss how we “talk� to each other without using our voices. Ensemble Silent Improvisation Task: Students will use silent improvisation, facial expressions and gestures to act out what the Franks, the SS, and the Dutch might have been feeling, thinking and seeing during the escape to the Annex. Preparation
17\18 SEASON
2. Give each student in Group 1 a yellow sticky note to wear on their shirt; this denotes them as Jewish. Give each student in Group 2 a white sticky note to wear on their shirt; this denotes them as an SS officer. Group 3 does not need a sticky note to wear; this denotes them as Dutch. 3. Ensure that all the students are aware of who each group represent. Present each group with some pictures and research on the group they represent so they can prepare to improvise that role appropriately. 4. Send the SS and The Dutch Groups out of the room. 4a. Take volunteers from Group 1 to act as The Frank family. Note: Only a Frank family member may reveal their own identity. The other students with yellow sticky notes may not reveal the identity of The Franks. 4b. G ive each student representing a Frank family member a second yellow sticky note to hide in their pockets with the name of their character written on it. The four Franks should think back to the earlier class discussion for things they would want to take with them when going into hiding and write those four things on the sticky note that goes in their pockets. 4c. Establish the location of the Annex. (Suggestion: the Annex should be reached by getting out of the classroom itself.) 4d. Establish a non-verbal cue that can be given by the teacher during the improvisation that will let The Frank family know they may start attempting their escape to the Annex. 5. Bring the SS and Dutch Groups back into the classroom. 6. Go over the following guidelines for appropriate improvised behavior during the activity.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
22
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
1. Divide the class into three groups: the Jews (Group 1), the SS (Group 2), and the Dutch (Group 3). The SS should be the smallest group, composed of 3 students.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Guidelines and Tasks for Improvisation The Jews: Cautious. Task: Attempt to be friendly or seek help from The Dutch. Barter possessions from backpack/desk for other things you may need/want. The Franks: Cautious but motivated to collect what they need and get to the Annex. Task: 1. Collect four things that they have decided to take with them and get to the Annex without being stopped and searched by the SS. The Franks may choose to reveal their identities to The Dutch to ask for help bartering for an item or in getting to the Annex. However, this may risk detection by the SS. 2. Get to the Annex undetected with all four items. If a Frank reaches the Annex without all four items listed on their pocketed yellow sticky note, their escape does not count.
Task: Each Dutch person must decide if they are sympathetic to The Jews or not. Barter with The Jews. If various Dutch are sympathetic to The Franks, they may help they them get an item or get to the Annex. The SS: In charge and generally unfriendly and intimidating. Task: Keep all citizens in line. (If a Dutch person is too friendly towards a Jew, the SS can stamp their foot on the ground to intimidate.) Patrol the space to discover which students represent The Franks. Rules for discovering The Franks: • All SS Officers may “search” a maximum of 2 suspected Franks each. • If an SS Officer suspects that someone wearing a yellow sticky note is a member of The Franks, the Officer is required to reach a consensus with a minimum of one other Officer in order to search the pockets of the suspected Frank. If they discover a Frank, that member of The Frank family is out of the game. • SS Officers must complete each “search” in pairs.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
23
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
The Dutch: Friendly or ambivalent towards The Jews. Cautious of, but not threatened by, the SS.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Go Improvise!
• •
• • •
All students to walk around and improvise as the Jews, the SS, and the Dutch for five minutes. The teacher can say “FREEZE” at any time. Once a freeze is called, the teacher can ask a student to speak their inner monologue. They should say what the character would like to say if they were allowed, but take care not to reveal the identity of their character. Prompt the students with “I feel…”, “I am afraid of…”, “I am worried…”, “I think…”. At the end of the first five minutes, give the agreed-upon non-verbal signal that tells the Franks that they can begin to make their way towards the Annex. They will be given an additional five minutes to get there before the game is over. At the end of the second five minutes, stop the game. Ask the SS if they notice anyone missing. Ask any Franks who made it to the Annex to come back into the classroom. Reveal their identities and verify that they collected all four items listed on their sticky notes. If time allows, switch roles and play again.
17\18 SEASON
Assessment Criteria: • Students use facial expressions and gestures that communicate what their character is feeling. • Students are committed to playing the reality of the recorded event. • Students act and react to the status of the characters around them. • Students work as an ensemble. Purpose: Students learn to act under pressure, understand the behavior of various groups in the play, and empathize with the Franks by experiencing a high-stakes situation. Reflection Questions What did being powerful or powerless feel like in your body? Were you tense? Did you stand straight or slouch? Did you avoid eye contact or stare? Were you breathing normally or shallowly? How does it feel to be a bystander when someone is being oppressed? What social groups today feel the pressure of oppression, either as oppressors, the oppressed or bystanders? Take it Further: Read the director’s interview. The director, Sarah, will be using diverse casting for The Diary of Anne Frank. What do you think she is hoping to illuminate about today’s societal pressures and oppressive forces by having people of different cultures and ethnicities play Jewish characters?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
24
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
Optional: Have students write a journal entry about their experience as an SS Officer, a Jew or a friendly or ambivalent Dutchmen. These entries can be read out loud by the author, or they can be read aloud by another student, in the same way that Anne’s journal entries are now read by other people.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 6: Key Dates from PBS
17\18 SEASON
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
25
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 7: Entries from July 1942 Wednesday, July 8, 1942 Miep and Jan Gies came at eleven. Miep, who’s worked for Father’s company since 1933, has become a close friend, and so has her husband Jan. Once again, shoes, stockings, books and underwear disappeared into Miep’s bag and Jan’s deep pockets. At eleven-thirty they too disappeared.
Margot stuffed her schoolbag with schoolbooks, went to get her bicycle and, with Miep leading the way, rode into the great unknown. At any rate, that’s how I thought of it, since I still didn’t know where our hiding place was. At seven-thirty we too closed the door behind us; Moortje, my cat, was the only living creature I said goodbye to. According to a note we left for Mr. Goldschmidt, she was to be taken to the neighbors, who would give her a good home. The stripped beds, the breakfast things on the table, the pound of meat for the cat in the kitchen- all of these created the impression that we’d left in a hurry. But we weren’t interested in impressions. We just wanted to get out of there, to get away and reach our destination in safety. Nothing else mattered. More tomorrow. Yours, Anne Thursday, July 9, 1942 So there we were, Father, Mother and I, walking in the pouring rain, each of us with a schoolbag and a shopping bag filled to the brim with the most varied assortment of items. The people on their way to work at that early hour gave us sympathetic looks; you could tell by their faces that they were sorry they couldn’t offer us some kind of transportation; the conspicuous yellow star spoke for itself. Only when we were walking down the street did Father and Mother reveal, little by little, what the plan was. For months we’d been moving as much of our furniture and apparel out of the apartment as we could. It was agreed that we’d go into hiding on July 16. Because of Margot’s call-up notice, the plan had to be moved up ten days, which meant we’d have to make do with less orderly rooms. The hiding place was located in Father’s office building…
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
26
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
I was exhausted, and even though I knew it’d be my last night in my own bed, I fell asleep right away and didn’t wake up until Mother called me at five-thirty the next morning. Fortunately, it wasn’t as hot as Sunday; a warm rain fell throughout the day. The four of us were wrapped in so many layers of clothes it looked as if we were going off to spend the night in a refrigerator, and all that just so we could take more clothes with us. No Jew in our situation would dare leave the house with a suitcase full of clothes. I was wearing two undershirts, three pairs of underpants, a dress, and over that a skirt, a jacket, a raincoat, two pairs of stockings, heavy shoes, a cap, a scarf and lots more. I was suffocating even before we left the house, but no one bothered to ask me how I felt.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Handout 8: An Interview with the Director, Sarah Gurfield Sarah Gurfield is a Santa Monica native, and a co-founder, producer, and resident director of Santa Monica Rep. She has directed productions of THE FOREIGNER, PROOF, and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) for the company, as well as presentations of THE HEIDI CHRONICLES, PYGMALION, and THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND. Local credits include work for The Actors Studio, The Road Theatre, Cal State Long Beach, The Hudson Backstage, and Chalk Rep. An SDCF Award winner, Gurfield’s other credits include the world premiere of Steven Fechter’s THE COMMISSION (New York Fringe); I DO! I DO! (Berkshire Theatre Festival); A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and BAT BOY THE MUSICAL (Seacoast Rep). She served as the Assistant Director for the Roundabout’s Broadway revival of TWENTIETH CENTURY, starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche; and for CAROUSEL at Carnegie Hall, starring Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald. Ms. Gurfield is a member of The Actors Studio, SDC, and AEA.
17\18 SEASON
Experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust from Anne’s perspective is humanizing: it’s very different to read about WWII in a textbook than it is to read an actual diary about the everyday life of a teenager. Of course she writes about some aspects of the war, but she also writes about feeling angry and misunderstood, falling in love, having parents who are overprotective and drive her crazy -- things that most of us can relate to! This personal approach makes for dynamic theatre, and lets us empathize with our central character. And because the diary is an actual historical artifact - as opposed to a wholly imagined narrative - there’s an authenticity it (and to the theatrical adaptation) that feels very special. Unfortunately, this authenticity is in sharp contrast to our current political climate: where accusations of “fake news” abound, it is essential that we remember to separate facts from “alternative facts”...otherwise known as falsehoods. My desire is to present this story, not just as a reminder of the horrible things people can do to one another when power remains unchecked, but to emphasize our ongoing need for vigilance and for empathy.
2. How does the play version of Anne’s story compliment or expand on her written diary? Are there dramatic elements you will add in your staging? How will you go about imagining Anne’s world beyond what she wrote? The focus of the play is narrower than that of the diary: for example, the love story is more central to the play than to the diary; the conflicts between the Franks and Van Daans in the play are not nearly as pervasive in the diary; and the wide variety of Anne’s interests and studies during her time in hiding are more extensive in the diary than in the play. But at the core, there is a lot of overlap -- if you’ve read Anne’s diary, I hope you’ll find it illuminating to watch our cast act out imagined scenes (which are based on events in the diary). And if you haven’t yet read Anne’s diary, I hope this presentation will inspire you to do so! THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
27
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
1. What was your reasoning for bringing The Diary of Anne Frank alive in a staged reading? Why this story, and why now?
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
I’m exploring several dramatic elements for the reading - playing with lights, sound, special props, etc., but one aspect of the theatre that I love is the element of surprise...so no spoilers! In college, I visited the real Secret Annex in Amsterdam (it’s now a museum), and I couldn’t believe that everything in the diary happened in such small quarters -- much smaller than the stage where we’ll do the play. So Anne’s literal world is very confined: she’s stuck in a tiny space with seven other people, sharing a room with an old guy she barely knows. But Anne’s internal world is incredibly vibrant: she’s really smart, but she’s also a total class clown, and she somehow remains cheerful in dire circumstances. Can you imagine being stuck in a tiny space with zero privacy, very little food, and the same seven people for more than two years? You can’t go outside, you can’t use the toilet during the daytime, and there were no cell phones or tablets, not even TV or air-conditioning! I think I’d go crazy, so finding a way to convey that sense of claustrophobia is another great challenge of this play.
I want to show that marginalization and persecution can happen to any group of people. While it was largely the Jews who were persecuted during the Holocaust, there were other people - blacks, homosexuals, physically disabled - who were killed as well. It feels like all of this happened a million years ago, but it was actually only about 75 years ago -- not very long in the context of human history. And today, in our own country, we see groups of people being stripped of rights because of their gender, their religion, their race or ethnicity, their sexual orientation or identity, all of which seems to me like a very slippery slope toward the kind of persecution that Anne and six million other Jews faced in the 1940’s. We cannot let that happen again, to Jews, or to any other group of people.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
28
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
3. You will be using diverse casting. What are you hoping to illuminate with that choice?
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Lesson 5: Hiding in the Annex Lesson at a Glance Lesson Objective: Explore how eye contact, small movements and subtle facial expressions can communicate human emotions and needs without words. Duration: 30 minutes Materials: A tight cluster of desks, chairs or tables with room to stand around them
VAPA Theatre, Grade Six: 1.1 Use the vocabulary of theatre, such as action/reaction, vocal projection, subtext, theme, mood, design, production values, and stage crew, to describe theatrical experiences. VAPA Theatre, Grade Six: 2.1 Participate in improvisational activities, demonstrating an understanding of text, subtext, and context. VAPA Theatre, Grade Seven: 2.3 Create characters, environments, and actions that exhibit tension and suspense. VAPA Theatre, Grade Eight: 2.2 Perform character-based improvisations, pantomimes, or monologues, using voice, blocking, and gesture to enhance meaning. Concepts/Vocabulary: Non-verbal Communication - Communication through visual and wordless clues such as body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye movement and touch Action/Reaction - An acting technique based on natural human behavior. In life, humans naturally react to actions around them; these reactions are not planned, they are instinctual. Actors appear to be showing reactions that are not planned, and must heighten their reactions so the audience sees them Improvisation - the art or act of improvising, or of composing, uttering, executing or arranging without previous preparation. High Stakes - activity or situation that involves a lot of risk or serious consequences Empathy - the ability to identify with another’s feeling Guiding Questions: How do we communicate without words in highly stressful situations? How does the threat of being discovered affect communication? What does it feel like to have to restrict your movements and speech and still accomplish tasks? Anne and everyone else in the attic had to be quiet for ten hours a day. How did they develop relationships without speaking?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
29
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
Standards:
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Part 1: Acting and Reacting Using Improvisation Warm Up #1 - Keeping Reactions Silent! 1. Have the students sing a popular song they all know, like “Despacito”. They can be as loud and demonstrative as they like. 2. Play the song again and challenge the students to listen and move the same, but without making a sound. 3. Lead a short discussion or reflection on how there were moments of joy in the Annex, like Hanukkah, but everyone had to stay quiet. Ask your students a series of questions. Are you the kind of person that can stay quiet? How would you practice a joyous moment if you were the Franks? Warm Up #2 – Reading Stage Directions Pass out pages 4-6 of the stage directions to The Diary of Anne Frank. Ask students to read the stage directions and circle or highlight key words, descriptions and phrases that describe the Annex and the stage plot. Have students get in a small group and discuss what they circled about the Annex.
17\18 SEASON
How large do you imagine the Annex to be? What is around the Annex? How would you design the Annex on a stage?
After discussing the Annex, show pictures of what the Annex actually looks like by going to the website of Anne Frank Museum Amsterdam at http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/Not-outside-for-2-years/-The-Secret-Annex/ After viewing the images, lead a short discussion with the class.
Was this what you imagined the Annex to look like? How is this similar or different to what you researched in the stage directions? After viewing the images, would you add another detail to the stage directions?
Part 2: Acting and Reacting within the Annex Task: Students will engage in a silent improvisation of high-stake events that take place in the Annex. 1. Make a list of events on the board that happened between the characters in the Annex during the time they had to be silent between 8am and 6pm. These can be in the play, in the diary or imagined. Examples: Anne does something to irritate Mr. Dussell. Peter does something that makes Anne laugh. The cat is missing, and everyone is looking. The toilet is very full, and there are lots of flies. Mrs. Van Daan and Mr. Van Daan are fighting.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
30
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
2. Divide the class into two groups of 8 and the remainder of the class as an observer group. 3. H ave one group of 8 sit at a tight group of desks facing each other. Have a second group of 8 stand around that group with their backs toward them. Have the third group observe. 4. Assign the group sitting at the desks one of the events you brainstormed in Step 1. Assign each student one of the 8 people in the Annex. 5. Ask that group to silently improvise that scene as their characters. Remind students to use facial expressions, gestures and to “raise the stakes” while they improvise. In theatre, playing “high stakes” means the actor is using intensity, urgency, heightened intuition, and careful listening. When you coach an actor to “raise the stakes” you are asking them to care about what they want or what they are doing more. 6. If one of students with their back turned hears a sound from the performing group, they knock on a desk and say “Open up! Gestapo!” and that round is over. The “Gestapo” who knocked takes the place of the person who made a sound that person joins the observing group and a member of the observing group becomes the replacement “Gestapo.” 7. Change the scenario whenever you see fit.
17\18 SEASON
Purpose: Students learn about the high stakes and daily struggles associated with living in the Annex. Reflection Questions How do the circumstances of the Annex cause anxiety? What does it feel like to be loud/carefree versus silent/cautious?
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
31
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
Assessment Criteria: • Students work together without words. • Students show commitment to the high stakes of the scene. • Students make bold physical choices in place of their voice.
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Background of the Play By the time The Diary of Anne Frank debuted in 1955, its writers, Albert Hackett and his wife Frances Goodrich, were already established Hollywood writers. They had received Academy Award nominations for several works. The Diary of Anne Frank would earn them the 1956 Pulitzer Prize for drama. In 1959, Goodrich and Hackett adapted their stage play for a movie version that would later win three Academy Awards. Goodrich and Hackett based their masterwork on the book Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager, wrote the diary over a two-year period while she, her family, and others hid from the Nazis in the German-occupied Netherlands until their capture in 1944. Anne’s father, the only survivor of the group, recovered the diary in 1945. He sold it to Dutch publishers in 1947. http://study.com/academy/lesson/diary-of-anne-frank-by-albert-hackett-frances-goodrichsummary-characters.html
17\18 SEASON
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
32
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
About Santa Monica Rep and Co-Founder, Jen Bloom Jen Bloom Co-Founder of Santa Monica Rep collaborated with the Education & Community Programs Department at The Broad Stage to write this Study Guide for educators. To learn more about Jen read her bio below. Jen Bloom directs and produces plays, events, short films and other fun and thoughtful things in Los Angeles. She is a Resident Director at Santa Monica Rep, and teaches on the Acting Faculty at AMDA-LA. She has been fortunate to teach classes and workshops for children and adults, and create crossdisciplinary arts curriculum all over Los Angeles and Rhode Island (her home state) at places like the LA Natural History Museum, Rhode Island Hospital Department of Psychiatry, Brown University, USC, UCSB, UCLA, SMMUSD, and AJU.
Santa Monica Rep is a professional ensemble dedicated to presenting classic and contemporary plays with relevant themes. Since 2010, the company has produced and presented six main stage productions (The Tempest, Proof, How I Learned to Drive, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare abridged, The Memorandum, A Xmas Carol), two themed and curated gala theatrical experiences (Brecht-cerpts, a Brecht-inspired evening of theater at the historic Santa Monica house of the former playwright and director; and Le Salon du Santa Monica Rep, a Moliere-themed night of costumes and wigs, with a staged-reading of The Learned Ladies), a new play festival (Wave Fest at the historic Church in Ocean Park), and dozens of readings, salons, and special events at venues throughout the city of Santa Monica (including the Miles Playhouse, the Promenade Playhouse, and now, The Edye Second Space at The Broad Stage). Their inaugural production of The Tempest was awarded the Annenberg Beach House Summer residency in 2011 and took place steps from the beach at the historic Marion Davies Guest house. Since 2010, they have partnered with the Santa Monica Library to present free staged-readings to the community. To date, Santa Monica Rep has read over 20 plays to over 2000 community members, and engaged hundreds more in riveting and probing post-show discussions, often with panelists or community members with expertise in a field related to the themes of the particular play. Their recent partnership with The Broad Stage has provided access to free staged-readings to Santa Monica and greater Los Angeles area students.
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
33
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
17\18 SEASON
About Santa Monica Rep
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK STUDY GUIDE
Glossary Act/React - a principle of acting technique where the actor honestly and openly reacts to the situation s/he is acting in, and does not give a planned response Character Development- the process a writer and actor explore to create a complex, human character out of words and ideas Empathy - the ability to identify with another’s feelings Ensemble - a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together Gesture - a physical movement that communicates a feeling or portrays an image High Stakes - activity or situation that involves a lot of risk or serious consequences Improvisation - the art or act of improvising, or of composing, uttering, executing or arranging anything without previous preparation
17\18 SEASON
Morality - principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior Non-verbal communication - Communication through visual and wordless clues such as body language, gestures, facial expressions, eye movement and touch Rehearsal - The time when an actor practices saying lines, moving on set, and feeling the characters’ emotions before performing in front of an audience Silent and Spoken Improvisation - the art or act of improvising, or of composing, uttering, executing, or arranging anything without previous preparation. Part of this exercise will be done in silence, and part will be done verbally Silent Improvisation - the art or act of improvising, or of composing, uttering, executing, or arranging without previous preparation. In this exercise, it will be silent Staged Reading – A form of theatre without sets or full costumes. The actors read from scripts, and may sit, stand, or incorporate minimal stage movement Status (High and Low) - the relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society Subtext - an underlying and often distinct theme in a piece of writing or conversation Tableau - a group of models or motionless figures representing a scene from a story or from history Theme - A central idea in a piece of writing or other work of art. Plays communicate themes through the production elements, casting, and the actors’ words and movements Vocal variety - using word inflection, breath and pitch to find portray emotion through language
THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
34
THEBROADSTAGE.ORG/EDUCATION
Monologues - a speech spoken by one character to her/himself or another character to develop an idea, solve a problem or tell a story