With this fall’s encore production of The Diary of Anne Frank, The Bridge Theatre once again hopes to unite young audiences through a shared theatrical experience by Jill Duff-Hoppes Photos courtesy of Jeffrey Fischer Photography Bridges Building
W hen the lights came up after The Bridge Theatre’s inaugural performances of The Diary of Anne Frank last year, the company’s founders knew they had done what they set out to do – connect with students and drive home the point that hate should never win. The classic play tells the real-life story of Anne Frank, a German- born Jewish girl who wrote a diary documenting the two years her family spent in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. Anne ultimately perished at the age of 15 in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. Last November, about 2,600 Orange County middle- and high-school students attended the highly successful production, says Jennifer Jacobson, who co-founded the Orlando-based company with longtime educator Karen Rugerio. The 2024 production was so well-received, in fact, that The Bridge Theatre is staging the one-act play again this fall – and plans to continue doing so for years to come. Every performance is followed by an insightful talkback with the cast. Last year’s attendees didn’t hesitate to ask thoughtful questions about Anne Frank’s life, World War II, and the actors’ feelings about their characters.
“The audience was very invested in the story,” says Jennifer. “The ending [when Anne’s death is revealed] leaves you stunned. One of the first questions we got was, ‘Is this a true story?’ The impact was just immediate.” That’s exactly the kind of engaged response that Jennifer and Karen had hoped the play would garner. The Bridge Theatre’s mission is to create unique theatrical experiences for young audiences that inspire an understanding, awareness, and acceptance of each person’s cultural history and identity to help combat prejudice, bullying, antisemitism, and hatred. Last year’s production was at Dr. Phillips High School, where Karen taught theater for 27 years. The theater at Dr. Phillips is currently under renovation, so the 2025 production is being staged in October at Ocoee High School, which has welcomed Karen, Jennifer, and their team with open arms. This year, Jennifer and Karen are aiming to present The Diary of Anne Frank to 4,000 middle- and high-school students from Orange, Seminole, and Lake counties.
38 J LIFE | FALL 2025
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online