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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Critic’s pick: ‘Anne Frank: Within & Without’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. Grade: B
At home and at school, Anne Frank was a little chatterbox. So her father gave her a diary and told her to write down her thoughts.
Her “Dear Kitty” letters, describing her family’s attempt to hide from the Nazis in an Amsterdam warehouse, would thus go on to become one of the most haunting literary relics of the 20th century.
Visiting the Dutch city a few years ago, Atlanta puppet artist Bobby Box was so moved by the Anne Frank House that he set about creating a dollhouse-style telling of the young woman’s story. First staged by the Center for Puppetry Arts in 2006, “Anne Frank: Within & Without” is getting a well-deserved second production through Feb. 17.
Elegantly conceived, fastidiously crafted and thoughtfully performed by Janet Metzger and Kristin Jarvis, the compelling memory play pays tribute to a tiny light that refused to go out. Even as one of the darkest menaces of modern history tried to obliterate her culture, Anne Frank insisted on the essential goodness of humankind.
Box’s writing may feel a tad labored at times, but the luminous dreams and cold realities of the young Jewish woman’s martyrdom are captured with grace and integrity. It is odd and unsettling — yet strangely comforting, too — to see Anne Frank tell her own story, like a little girl playing with dolls.
Through Feb 17. For ages 12 and up. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St., Midtown. 404-873-3391, www.puppet.org.
