DAPHNE — Fifty years ago, the world gazed upon the words written by 13-year-old Anne Frank for the first time. Her diary, written while her family hid from Nazis in Amsterdam had been published and was a glimpse into two years of terror, mundane days and life growing up in hiding.

This weekend students in Daphne High School's theater department will bring her story to life on stage in "The Diary of Anne Frank."

Daphne Theater Director Jess Jackson said the retelling of Anne's story is an opportunity not just to teach stagecraft but to help students learn how important it is to bring history to the forefront.

"I want my students to know that theatre is just like any other art form, it reflects the times and what was important to people. It can teach lessons and show morals and delve into those deeper creases of humanity that we sometimes don't want to face but we need to," Jackson said.

Many of her students, she said, didn't fully know the story or its heart wrenching ending.

"I don't think they realized how heavy it was going to be until after we blocked the last scene and they all became very quiet and asked, 'oh my gosh, so this is what happened?' I think just having them experience it made a mark," Jackson said.

"Now they are able to go from there and understand that we have to honor this piece and show the truth of it and do it justice as much as we can."

Playing Anne Frank is Addison Ratliff with Lauren Taylor as understudy.

The cast also includes Cole Wilson, Rachel Dixon, Em McAlexander, Crow Williams, Laurel Burcham, Elysa Nelson, Ethan Wooley, Rachel Dixon, Isabelle Davis, Reagan Reid, Jake Houston John Wallace Simpson, Casper Fellinger, Patrick Graham, Gracie Robinson, Olivia Powe, Emily Mercer and Kendal Dean.
The tech crew for this production includes Nyx Satenberg, Crow Williams, Rachel Dixon, Vinnie Barnes, Loghan Taplin and Madison Lang on costumes and makeup; Reece Dube, August Raymond, Lotta Mueller, Laurel Burcham, Patrick Graham, Olivia Martin, Vinnie Barnes, Loghan Taplin, Cole Wilson and Jiro Culbertson on set and construction; Meredith Hundsader, Laurel Burcham, Sheridan Fawcett, Ashley Johnson in advertising; Tralise Pounds, Lily Melton, Anthony Meadows, Isabel Pond, Maeci Howell and Chloe Gomillion in lighting and Audrey Alcathie, Em McAlexander, Lily Melton and Carolin Braun in house duties.

Tralise Pounds serves as stage manager and Makenleigh Phillips and Carolin Braun are assistant stage managers.

The show runs Oct 19 – 22. Tickets are available at gofan.co