The Diary of Anne Frank
When: Oct. 27 to Nov. 7
Where: Trinity Western University, 7600 Glover Rd.
Time: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturday matinées
Tickets: Start at $10. Call 604.513.2121, extension 3872 or visit www.twu.ca/theatre.
The Nazis have control of Amsterdam. Jews have two choices: go into hiding, or go to the concentration camps. When Anne Frank’s life is reduced to a cramped attic shared with seven others, she seeks refuge in the one place where she’s still free to dream — her diary.
Trinity Western University’s SAMC Theatre presents the inspiring true story of Anne Frank, brought to life in a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.
“In the worst of situations, sometimes the best thing you can do is laugh,” said Angela Konrad, the Jessie Award-winning director.
“Some people might be surprised at how much humour there is in this play — it shows just how important humour is to our survival.”
With all of its twists and turns, the play is inspired by Anne Frank’s diary, found after the end of the Second World War. Narrations from the diary run through the play.
“Anne and her family embody the resilience of the human spirit,” Konrad said.
“Even as everything else is taken away, no one can steal or kill hope. The profound hope and faith in this story is, I think, one of the reasons why its popularity still soars — even after 70 years.”
Submitted photo. Langley Players presents Dinner With Friends. From left: Gemma Martini from Langley, Larry Hamm from Chilliwack and Shannon Pedder from Mission.
Dinner With Friends
When: Oct. 22 to Nov. 21
Where: Langley Playhouse, 4307 200 St.
Time: 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays
Tickets: $15 or $10 preseason shows Oct. 22, 23. Call 604-534-7469, email reservations@langleyplayers.com or visit www.langleyplayers.com.
Langley Players opens their season with Dinner With Friends, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Donald Margulies, telling of two intertwined couples and what happens when one marriage falls apart.
Ever since Karen and Gabe played cupid with their friends Beth and Tom, the two couples have been close — going to the Vineyard every summer, raising their kids and enjoying numerous dinners together. But when one marriage surprisingly dissolves, the couples’ lives begin to change course and go in opposite directions. Can these four friends move on to the next chapter without moving apart, or have they changed beyond recognition?
Submitted photo by Sara Lohnes. Surrey Little Theatre presents Calendar Girls. From left: Laurie Kortschak from Surrey, Joe Tenta from Langley and Holly Zonneveld from Langley.
Calendar Girls
When: Oct. 22 to Nov. 21
Where: Surrey Little Theatre, 7027 184 St.
Time: 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays; 2 p.m. Nov. 1, 8, 15
Tickets: $15; half-price Oct. 22, 23. Call 604-576-8451, email reservations@surreylittletheatre.com or visit www.brownpapertickets.com.
The popular British play and movie Calendar Girls is based on the true story of 11 members of the Knapeley Women’s Institute who posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund.
The original production broke all British box office records and is the fastest selling play in British theatre history.
In the small town of Knapeley, Yorkshire, England, Annie Clarke has just lost her husband, who was ill with leukemia. Inspired by his speech to the local Women’s Institute, where he said “the flowers of Yorkshire are like the women of Yorkshire,” and “the last phase of the women of Yorkshire is always the most glorious,” Annie’s best friend, Chris Harper, decides to make a calendar with eleven, local, middle-aged women posing in the nude to raise funds to buy a settee for the leukemia treatment centre in the local hospital. The calendar is an immediate sensation, making the women famous and affecting their lives.
