Today I went with the 8th grade to watch the play Diary of Anne Frank at the round barn theater in Nappanee. It was an abridged adaptation of the play that the advanced students had been reading in language arts. The lead actress was a classmate of Meg's. Although the play was short I thought it gave the students an idea of how incredibly small the attic was where Anne's family were hiding. The characters also came to life for them which led to a lot of questions about the actors interpretation of the personalities of the Franks and Van Dams.
I felt that our students were very well behaved and listened intently. Several asked me questions afterward and Meg instantly wanted to know if she could come back over the weekend and see the play in its entirety. I was glad that I was able to go along with the students on the trip. It took some juggling of our schedules to allow me to go and I appreciate Mrs. Collins making an effort for me to attend.
Watching the play made me want to read Anne's diary again. Meg read it last year. She has remarked several times how sad it is that Anne died so close to liberation of her camp. I tried to explain to Meg that the story may have never been told if Anne had lived, but I know that is little consolation. It is hard not to think about what her life might have been had Hitler never come to power. Meg has developed the Heinisch love for history and story telling. I hope that never changes. There is so much to learn from the past and so many stories to be told.
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