In the first scene of the play, Mr. Frank returns alone to Amsterdam; he has been liberated from the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Revisiting the rooms where he last lived with his family, he discovers the diary kept by his daughter Anne. In memory, he returns to their last days together.

All the action of the play unfolds in a secret annex, located on the top floor of a warehouse and office building in Amsterdam, during and immediately after World War II. The Franks are a Jewish family forced to hide from the Nazis, who have occupied Holland. Though originally German, the family fled their native land with the advent of Adolf Hitler and established a profitable business and comfortable domestic life in Amsterdam. Now the Nazis have again disrupted their existence, first by the passage of anti-Semitic laws in Holland and now by the rounding up of Jews for deportation to work and death camps. In their secret annex, located above the offices where Mr. Frank conducted his business, the family has been joined by the three Van Daans. Mr. Van Daan was Mr. Frank’s partner in the spice trade. Later the two families agree to accept Mr. Dussel, a bachelor dentist whom they did not know earlier but whose life is now also threatened.

In the cramped quarters and with the constant fear of betrayal, it is not surprising that tempers flare. Originally, the Franks expected only a few weeks of captivity before liberation by the Allies. However, these weeks stretch into more than eighteen months. The Van Daans constantly fight, and Mr. Van Daan is caught stealing more than his share of their limited food supply. The spirited Anne is obliged to share her small room with the stuffy Mr. Dussel. She experiences the perplexities of puberty, while conflicts with her mother and rivalry with her sister seem intensified in these dire circumstances. There are, however, two consolations. The first is Peter Van Daan, a sensitive youth who has smuggled his beloved cat into the annex and who is attuned to Anne’s emotions. The second comfort is Anne’s ever-present diary, to which she faithfully confides her daily experiences, her fears, and her hopes for the future.

The inhabitants of the annex attempt to establish some routines of daily life. During daylight hours they must move in stocking feet, speak only in whispers, and refrain from using the lavatory, for fear of revealing their hiding place to the employees below in the warehouse. At night they are able to play games, listen to the radio—especially to reports of Allied offensives—and argue among themselves. Books are brought to them, along with basic provisions, by Miep and Mr. Kraler, faithful employees who are risking their own lives by aiding these fugitives. The young people pursue their studies, under the tutelage of Mr. Frank. Anne shows special aptitude for literature and languages.

Although all the inhabitants of the annex are assimilated Jews, who have always regarded themselves as citizens of the countries in which they have lived, the Nazis have made their Jewish identity central. Anne shows affection for the conspicuous emblem the Nazis have forced them to wear on their coats, which is, as she says, “after all, the Star of David.” The little group celebrates Hanukkah, with gifts Anne is able to improvise from the meager objects at hand. Mrs. Frank, who is the most religiously observant, reads Psalm 121. Yet precisely on the night of this holiday, a burglar invades the warehouse and hears their celebration. Not long after, just as they had feared, alerted German officers break into the annex. As they are all carted away to the concentration camps, Mr. Frank attempts to console them: “For the past two years we have lived in fear. Now we can live in hope.”

In the play’s final scene, Mr. Frank, the little group’s sole survivor of the Nazi camps, is glimpsed again in the annex. He turns the pages of his daughter’s diary and hears again Anne’s voice saying, “In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

The claustrophobic atmosphere of Europe under Nazi threat and the stresses and tensions of hunted Jews hidden in the midst of a thriving city are well conveyed by the single set employed for this full-length drama in two acts and ten scenes. Three small rooms and a tiny attic space alone are visible. Furniture also is sparse: a few chairs, cots, a table. Sounds from the outside—the carillon from the nearby Westertoren church, fragments of the popular song “Lili Marlene” wafting up to the annex, the pounding of marching feet, and snippets of the German language—add to the tension and mood of mounting fear, which culminates when the door to the hiding place, obscured only by a fake bookcase, is broken down and the Nazis thunderously intrude.

The mode of the drama is realistic; the young actress who created the role of Anne (Susan Strasberg) was the daughter of the great American teacher of method acting, Lee Strasberg, and the actor who first portrayed Mr. Frank (Joseph Schildkraut) came from a famous German-Jewish theatrical family. While action in the annex is necessarily limited, the interactions among personalities, Anne’s budding romance, and the minor villainies of Van Daan and Dussel sustain interest. All the while, suspense builds as the hiding place becomes ever more precarious. Even though these people live in the shadow of death, the play retains a measure of humor and joy in family affection. Playwrights Goodrich and Hackett were a husband-wife team previously known for Broadway comedies and Hollywood musicals such as Easter Parade (1948) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). The skill with which they constructed The Diary of Anne Frank, injecting it with domestic warmth and pacing its action, has been much admired.

Because the play is about actual people who lived in traumatic historical times, the last scene, which forms an epilogue, was essential. Mr. Frank tells the audience how his wife and daughter, and all the others, perished in the camps, even as the end was in sight, with the liberating British and American troops sweeping through France and beyond. Millions of other lives were lost during the Holocaust; the people who managed to survive the camps were displaced, their lives irrevocably changed. Some never overcame their bitterness, remaining Hitler’s victims all their lives. Yet Goodrich and Hackett do not choose to leave their audience with this bitter message. Their play is not a tragedy; it celebrates the triumph of Anne’s spirit. Her father’s last words are “She puts me to shame.”

Post-World War I Germany
Following World War I, Germany faced severe social and economic turmoil. The newly established Weimar Republic, formed to end the conflict initiated under Kaiser William II, was widely unpopular among Germans. Many citizens resented the republican government and despised their leaders for signing the humiliating and financially burdensome Treaty of Versailles that concluded the war. Generally, the Weimar Republic was viewed as betraying the nation. Additionally, Germany endured intense economic hardships. Unemployment skyrocketed, and inflation became so extreme that paper money was worth more as scrap than as currency.

Despite these challenges, the Weimar Republic managed to maintain power in its early years, quashing several revolutionary attempts. However, numerous political parties that emerged after the war fiercely opposed the government. The National Socialist German Workers Party, which rebranded as the Nazi Party in 1920, espoused highly nationalistic, racist, and anticommunist ideologies. By promising to shield Germany from Communism, the Nazis garnered support from many affluent business leaders and landowners.

Adolf Hitler, an early member of the Nazi Party, ascended to its leadership by 1921 and led an unsuccessful revolt in Munich in 1923. During his imprisonment, Hitler penned Mein Kampf (My Struggle), where he outlined the Nazi agenda of acquiring more territory for the German people. Upon his release, Hitler's ideas—such as repealing the Treaty of Versailles and reclaiming lost German lands—along with his compelling oratory, drew many Germans to the Nazi cause. The Great Depression further exacerbated Germany's economic woes, leading more voters to support the Nazi platform. By 1932, the Nazis controlled 230 seats in the Reichstag, Germany's legislature; however, this was insufficient for them to dominate the government. In January 1933, when it became clear that no other party could effectively form a government, the Republic's president appointed Hitler as chancellor. Following a fire at the Reichstag building the next month, Hitler exploited his emergency powers to assume total dictatorial control over the nation.

Nazism and Anti-Semitism
Under Hitler’s regime, Germany transformed into a police state where the Gestapo, a secret police force, wielded extensive powers to detain anyone who opposed them. Liberals, socialists, and Communists were identified as enemies of the Nazis. Jews, considered part of so-called inferior races, faced extreme persecution. In 1935, the Nazis enacted the Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jews of their citizenship and prohibited them from marrying Christian Germans. Jews were barred from civil service jobs and, over time, from numerous other professions. In certain cities, Jews were forced to reside in ghettos. In November 1938, the persecution of Jews escalated into nationwide violence. Germans set fire to and vandalized Jewish synagogues and businesses, resulting in the destruction of nearly every Jewish synagogue. By the onset of World War II, Jews were banned from attending public schools, engaging in certain businesses, owning property, associating with non-Jews, and even visiting parks, libraries, or museums. They were also confined to ghettos. By 1941, Jews were forbidden from using telephones and public transportation, and those over six years old had to wear the yellow Star of David on their clothing. Europe did little to assist the Jews, prompting many to flee the continent. Between 1931 and 1941, for instance, 161,262 Jewish immigrants were admitted to the United States, and tens of thousands escaped to British-ruled Palestine. Some Jews also relocated to other European countries.

The Netherlands and World War II
When World War II erupted in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland, the Dutch remained neutral. However, their sympathies were with the Allied powers, which then included only Great Britain and France. After conquering Poland, the German army invaded Scandinavia and then turned its attention westward. On May 10, 1940, German armored units invaded the Low Countries—the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The Netherlands fell within five days. Rotterdam, a Dutch city, resisted fiercely, but even as the country’s surrender was being negotiated, the German air force decimated the city’s center. The government and the royal family fled to England, where they established a government in exile.

The Nazis created a Jewish Council to manage all Jewish affairs. The Germans then began isolating Jews from the non-Jewish Dutch population, confiscating Jewish property, and eventually deporting Jews to concentration and labor camps. A resistance movement emerged, but the Germans harshly crushed any protests. When Amsterdam dockworkers went on strike to prevent the deportation of Dutch Jews, the Germans retaliated by executing Dutch hostages. Some Jews managed to go into hiding, but most were deported to concentration camps. As the war neared its end and the Allies approached Germany, the Dutch faced severe food shortages, and in the final months before the war ended in May 1945, they were on the brink of famine.

Diary
Goodrich and Hackett’s play draws from Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, presenting the challenge of weaving a cohesive story from a collection of personal reflections. Rather than being hindered by the fragmented nature of diary entries, the playwrights turn the diary into a narrative tool. They begin by introducing the families and the hiding place through Anne’s diary entry about the day her family left their home. Nearly every scene concludes with Anne’s voice, reading from her diary. These excerpts serve several purposes: they remind the audience of the play’s origins, allow Anne’s voice to resonate, and enable the playwrights to summarize events that occur between scenes. Anne’s diary entries touch on topics such as her relationship with her mother, the atmosphere inside the attic, and events happening in the outside world.

Goodrich and Hackett also included several well-known passages from the diary within the play. Anne tells her mother, ‘‘If we begin thinking of all the horror in the world, we’re lost! We’re trying to hold on to some kind of ideals … when everything … ideals, hopes … everything, are being destroyed!’’ This dialogue mirrors a passage from Anne’s diary where she writes, ‘‘It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality.’’ Anne also writes about her aspirations: ‘‘I can shake off everything if I write. But … and that is the great question … will I ever be able to write well? I want to so much. I want to go on living even after my death.’’ This excerpt aligns with Anne’s diary entry, ‘‘I want to go on living after my death! And therefore I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and writing, of expressing all that is in me!’’

Narrative
The ten-scene play covers a period of just over two years, from July 1942, when the Franks go into hiding, to August 1944, when the Gestapo arrests them. The play generally follows a linear timeline, with the exceptions of the first and last scenes, both set in November 1945 on the day Mr. Frank returns to the attic. These scenes serve as ‘‘bookends’’ for the play. The opening scene introduces Anne, her family, her diary, and the circumstances that forced them into hiding. The concluding scene wraps up the drama, with Miep revealing that it was the thief who reported their hiding place, and Mr. Frank disclosing that he is the only survivor from the group.

Characters
Many of the characters in the play are more representative of archetypes than fully fleshed-out individuals. Mr. Frank embodies the role of the sage within the group. He is compassionate, virtuous, and patient. In any challenging situation, everyone looks to him for the final decision. He also attempts to cast a more optimistic light on their capture by the Gestapo, saying, ‘‘For the past two years we have lived in fear. Now we can live in hope.’’ Margot exemplifies the archetype of the good girl. She is dutiful and well-mannered. She assists her mother with dinner, lends Anne her high heels, and remains unaffected by Anne’s developing relationship with Peter. Mrs. Frank frequently holds Margot up as a model to follow. Peter Van Daan is the introverted boy who gradually learns to open up to a peer.

• 1930s and 1940s: In 1939, the Jewish population in Europe is approximately 10 million. Tragically, around 6 million European Jews are murdered during the Holocaust. By 1946, the Jewish population in Europe has decreased to about 4 million.

  Today: In 2000, the global Jewish population is estimated to be 13.2 million, with only 1,583,000, or twelve percent, residing in Europe. The majority of Jews live in the United States or Israel. In recent years, the worldwide Jewish population has increased slightly but still shows a zero-population growth statistically.

• 1930s and 1940s: In 1939, just before World War II begins, Germany has a reported Jewish population of 588,417, while the Netherlands has 156,817 Jews. Most of these individuals perish in German concentration camps during the Holocaust.

  Today: By 2000, Germany's Jewish population is about 60,000, and the Netherlands has around 30,000 Jews.

• 1930s and 1940s: At the start of the 1930s, Germany's Nazi Party has 180,000 members, drawing support from various social classes and age groups. This growing support helps the Nazi Party secure a majority in Germany's government by 1932. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis remain in power until the end of World War II in 1945.

  1990s: The 1990s witness a resurgence of Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis promote beliefs such as anti-Semitism and xenophobia. This doctrine attracts young people worldwide to join these hate groups. In Germany, neo-Nazi youths have called for the reinstatement of a national Nazi regime.

• The Diary of Anne Frank, a movie adaptation of the play, premiered in 1959. Directed by George Stevens, the film features Millie Perkins and Shelley Winters. It can be found on VHS and DVD.

Sources
Atkinson, Brooks. ‘‘Theatre: The Diary of Anne Frank,’’ in New York Times, October 6, 1956.

Ehrlich, Evelyn. ‘‘Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett,’’ in Dictionary of Literary Biography, Vol. 26: American Screenwriters, Gale Research, 1984, pp. 129–34.

Evans, Greg. ‘‘The Diary of Anne Frank,’’ in Variety, Vol. 369, No. 5, December 8, 1997, p. 119.

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl, edited by Otto H. Frank and Mirjam Pressler, translated by Susan Massotty. Doubleday, 1991.

Hoagland, Molly Magid. ‘‘Anne Frank, On and Off Broadway,’’ in Commentary, Vol. 105, No. 3, March 1998, p. 58.

Kerr, Walter. ‘‘Anne Frank Shouldn’t Be Anne’s Play,’’ in New York Times, January 7, 1979.

---. Review of The Diary of Anne Frank, in New York Herald Tribune, as quoted on ‘‘Anne Frank Online,’’ http://www.annefrank.com/site/af_student/study_STORY.htm (October 10, 2001).

Taylor, Markland. ‘‘The Diary of Anne Frank,’’ in Variety, Vol. 369, No. 1, November 10, 1997, p. 53.

Further Reading
Dawidowicz, Lucy C. The War against the Jews: 1933–1945. Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1991. This reissued edition provides a comprehensive history of the Holocaust’s origins and progression. Dawidowicz presents a succinct overview of Nazism and explores the daily experiences of Jews amid escalating anti-Semitism.

Gies, Miep, and Alison Leslie Gold. Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family. Simon & Schuster, 1998. Gies recounts her experiences sheltering the Frank family and other Jews while living under Nazi rule.

Lindwer, Willy. The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank. Anchor, 1992. Lindwer’s work details the final months of Anne’s life, from her capture to her death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Melnick, Ralph. The Stolen Legacy of Anne Frank: Meyer Levin, Lillian Hellman, and the Staging of the Diary. Yale University Press, 1997. Levin, a bestselling author, played a key role in adapting Anne’s diary for the stage. He wrote the first faithful adaptation, but Otto Frank rejected it, opting for another team that chose Goodrich and Hackett as writers. The Stolen Legacy narrates this story.

Muller, Melissa. Anne Frank: The Biography, translated by Robert Kimber and Rita Kimber. Owl Books, 1999. Muller’s biography of Anne places her diary within a broader historical context.