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NEWS
| October 8, 2003
Playing
the Part
The Dallas Children’s Theatre
presents an Anne Frank play meant for an older audience.
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| The Shorthorn: Matt Falls |
| Actors Sasha Travis, left, and Dan Evers
sign autographs Tuesday afternoon outside the University
Center Rosebud Theatre. Travis played Anne Frank and Evers
acted as a Hitler youth in the 10th Annual Dallas Children’s
Theatre production. |
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By Christian
Ragunton
The Shorthorn staff
Seventh grader Max Matthews watched as an actor portraying a Nazi
soldier stomped his boots and saluted the audience.
“Heil Hitler!” the soldier said.
Matthews, who attended the afternoon performance, was in an audience
of 200 watching the 10th Annual Dallas Children’s Theatre
production at UTA. This year, the featured production was James
Still’s And Then They Came for Me. The play told the stories
of two friends of Anne Frank and their Holocaust experiences.
“I’ve heard about the Holocaust, and I’ve read
about it in books, but that’s the closest I got to it before
the play,” Matthews said. “I’m dyslexic, so it’s
a lot better for me to learn by watching a play than reading something.”
Matthew’s school, the Country Day School of Arlington, was
one of three that attended the show Tuesday afternoon. The other
two were Roquemore Elementary and the Creative Learning Center at
Arlington.
Roquemore teacher Edie Scott said the play was an excellent way
for children to understand people’s Holocaust experiences.
She added that her kids could connect well with the characters because
of the age similarity.
“It’s a way to humanize people and make them more empathetic
toward others,” she said.
The group performed in the University Center Rosebud Theatre, and
EX.C.E.L. Campus Activities organized the event.
EX.C.E.L. secretary David Prestianni said the Dallas Children’s
Theatre is invited to perform at UTA each year.
“It’s a different play each year,” he said. “Many
of the productions in the past have been targeted for pre-school
kids, but this Anne Frank play was targeted for an older audience
— grades five and up.”
After the play, the children met the cast in front of the theater.
They flocked to the tables for autographs, while some took pictures
with the actors and actresses.
Sasha Travis, the actress who played Anne Frank, said she was happy
to be part of the production.
“It gives people a better idea that it’s reality,”
she said. “When you read it in a story, it’s not really
real to you, but when people act it out, it becomes more realistic.”
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