Owl Theatre gives stellar performances of

Ken Johnston
editorial@RainyRiverRecord.com

Two months of work all paid off over the weekend when the cast and crew of Owl Theatre’s Diary of Anne Frank pulled off three awesome performances in the RRHS Auditorium.

The set seemed huge, but yet due to its masterly constructed layout, it did project the atmosphere of a very cramped and crowded hiding place. The cast members did a great job of portraying what it must have been like for them to hide in such a small place. At times they wore their emotions on their sleeves that brought the audience into the tension filled world they lived in.

Director Paul Elliott did a great job of molding all the characters into the real life people they represented.

Shauna McInerney did a great job as the 13 year old and very precocious Anne Frank. It was very easy to see how she perceived what was going on in the world around her from a young teenage perspective. Elliott’s special effects man, Anco van Rozen, did a great job melding Anne’s diary entries into a between the scenes synopsis of life in the attic. Often the audience was sitting in the dark but still seeing through the descriptions of the recorded entries the hiding place. Elliott deserves a great deal of credit for keeping the audience always at the scene even when the lights were out.

Neil Ivall was as strong a character in the play as McInerney. His role as father (Mr. Frank) was incredible. Ivall did a great job of being the pillar of strength for Anne and the rest of the hiding place inhabitants. He also showed great strength after the war, even in the face of losing all his family and friends to the Nazis.

Shar Hanson added superb comic support as Mrs. Van Daan she was witty and at times very emotional; characteristics that were done to a tee by Hanson.

If one does not know Mat Ashworth, they would think he must be a cantankerous fella in real life. He clearly was into his role as Mr. Van Daan and came across as he was supposed to as a crotchety and sarcastic old man.

Peter Van Daan, played by Matt Ivall, played the shy and withdrawn boy to the letter. He provided Anne with a sidekick at a time where the adventurous young woman was in need of something more than the meek attic.

Missy Hartnell’s previous acting experience shone through as she played Mrs. Frank and was a strong presence in all her scenes.

Kyle Kuzyk also showed his experience, adding smoothly delivered comedy into a serious story line.

Newcomer to drama, Danielle Shrumm did a good job on stage and seemed like she could be Anne’s older sister.

Sam Ernst (Mr. Kraler) and Penny Vandenbrand (Miep) were good supporting actors and could very easily have walked into main roles. Ernst however was busy off stage managing things behind the scenes as part of the crew.

Playing to full houses both Friday and Saturday evenings and a good crowd Thursday, Owl Theatre deserved the standing ovations they received and truly entertained all who attended.