The Broad Stage presents its second year of Student Matinees for K-12 students of Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD). The year The Broad Stage is presenting a staged reading of the impactful The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett by the Santa Monica Repertory Theatre at Barnum Hall at Santa Monica High School on Friday, November 9 at 10:30 a.m. The famous 1959 film version was based on this play and won a unique Golden Globe Award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding (1960).
Ilaan Egeland Mazzini, Director of Education & Community Programs, said “The text of the play is standard curriculum for SMMUSD middle school – and we wanted to be able to offer the experience of a performance to all eighth graders in the district. With only 500 seats we are not able to do that on The Broad Stage Main Stage – but we are able to perform this for all several middle schools at the [number] seat Barnum Hall fulfilling The Broad Stage's goal of serving SMMUSD in a robust way.”
This brings the entire eighth grade class from John Adams Middle School and Lincoln Middle School to have this experience together, a unique meeting of a peer group. A Q+A lead by the Santa Monica College Public Policy Institute follows the performance; SMC students assist as the technical team.
The title role is played by Rosalind Jewett, a Junior at Santa Monica High School. This is Rosalind’s second season performing The Diary of Anne Frank with Santa Monica Repertory Theatre for The Broad Stage’s Student Matinee Program. Bringing this reading to SAMOHi allows her talents to be shared with fellow students in the Theatre and English departments who will also attend the program.
This special performance was made possible through the support of SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati, SMC’s Public Policy Institute and Education & Community Programs at The Broad Stage.
Submitted by Niki Blumberg
