Theatre Students Travel to See "The Diary of Anne Frank"

Students from the Fairmont State University Theatre Program saw the Pittsburgh Public Theatre’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” adapted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett on Sunday, Sept. 27. 

Participating students were Colleen Dorsey, Samantha Young and Rayleen Working, Morgan Carder, Jackie Jelacic, Colby Holleran, Abigail VanScoy, Anne Marie Witkowski, Shannon Yost, J.R. Watson, Anthony Edmond, Stephen Phillips and Justin Allan. The trip was sponsored by Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honorary, and Masquers, the student theatre organization. The students were accompanied by faculty and staff, Dr. John O’Connor, Linda O’Connor, Troy Snyder and Dr. Francene Kirk. The organizations support trips to see professional theatre through fund-raising efforts including the “Audience Choice Award,” where theatre patrons can vote with their spare change for their favorite performers. 

“Seeing professional theatre is essential to the education of our students. They need to understand what is expected in our profession in terms of acting, directing and design, and they also need to talk about the work. There was an important moment in the play when Mr. Van Daan takes his wife’s fur coat and gives it to Meip to sell. After the show, the students talked about how the actress reacted in this situation, about how she used her voice and her body to help the audience understand that the coat was more than a mere possession. The coat represented everything she had lost--her home, her friends, her way of life before they went into hiding. The Pittsburgh Public Theatre does excellent work, and they make their ticket prices affordable for students,” said Dr. Francene Kirk, the Masquers advisor. 

Many of the students attending the show are currently in rehearsal for “The Boy Friend,” a musical by Sandy Wilson. “The Boy Friend” opened on Broadway in 1955 and was Julie Andrews’s introduction to the American stage. The Fairmont State Theatre Program first produced “The Boy Friend” in 1959.  It was the first “Broadway-style” musical performed by the Masquers. “The Boy Friend” will be performed in the Wallman Hall Theatre on Oct. 16, 17, 22, 23, and 24 at 7:30 p.m. and on Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available by calling the box office at (304) 367-4240.

About the photo:

FSU students pause for a group photo in front of the O’Reilly Theatre, home of the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. In the front row from left to right are Colleen Dorsey, Samantha Young and Rayleen Working. In the middle row from left to right are Morgan Carder, Jackie Jelacic, Colby Holleran, Abigail VanScoy, Anne Marie Witkowski and Shannon Yost. In the back row from left to right are J.R. Watson, Anthony Edmond, Stephen Phillips and Justin Allan.

School of Fine ArtsTheatreCommunicationFrancene KirkJohn O'ConnorLinda O'ConnorTroy SnyderColleen DorseySamantha Young and Rayleen WorkingMorgan CarderJackie JelacicColby HolleranAbigail VanScoyAnne Marie WitkowskiShannon YostJ.R. WatsonAnthony EdmondStephen PhillipsJustin Allan