Katelin L. Ashcraft : The Diary of Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank

Arizona Repertory Theatre at The University of Arizona- 2009

Scenic Designer- Katelin Ashcraft

Senior Thesis

In the fall of my senior year I was the Scenic Designer for The Diary of Anne Frank, directed by Harold Dixon and Jeremy Selim. Harold and I felt very strongly about doing the show in the round versus a thrust or proscenium where this show is most commonly done. We really wanted that feeling of absolute isolation in our re-creation the famous attic space. We even went so far as to keep the actors on stage throughout the entire show, even during intermission, to further demonstrate the characters struggles and sense of entrapment. The entire production team also fully committed to the overall idea of realism. Our Lighting Designer, Rachel Minor made full used of practicals and paid close attention to detail when adding the chestnut tree gobo to illuminate the attic, and the realistic flickers of light that lit up the stove. Thanks to Sound Designer Carson Scott, Properties Master Timothy Smith and Master Carpenter Allen Shapiro, all other practicals on the set worked as well; from the period bakelite radio to the running water; the music box to the real live cat, Mouschi! Our Water Closet was the only exception to our attempt at complete realism, to the great disappointment of the actors.

My original design was inspired by a charcoal rendering that I did a year earlier of a spiral staircase. The set itself fans out around a central point, the WC, and gradually winds its way up to the attic. Like a staircase to nowhere the design attempted to evoke both despair and hope as it reaches up to the sky, the heavens, and freedom.

Below shows how the three leveled annex really was laid out while Anne Frank and her family lived there. The "First Floor" was not inhabited by anyone during the day while people were working in the offices below. The only level not shown is the attic at the very top on the annex. I very much wanted to create a feeling of these different levels and rooms in my design; the difficulty being in portraying at least a three story space for theatre in the round.

Research Images

Anne Frank (left), Otto Frank in the Annex (right)

Interior of Anne's Room (left), close up of wall above her bed where she pasted news clippings and photos (right). I especially loved the patchwork look of the window on the left and tried to incorporate this in the door to our WC. Below is the entrance to the annex covered by the bookcase.

Early Concept Sketch

Model- 3/4" Scale

The challenge of working in the Tournabene Theatre is that it is a five-sided theatre; a very unique space, but for every problem the theatre gives you there is an opportunity to push your design a little further. As you can begin to see in the model, the seating rises in height along with the set as it spirals up and around. The director and I were inspired by the notion that where you sat in the theatre may have a impact on how you viewed the characters. If you sat near the third level where the van Daan's living area was would you think differently about the potato argument in Act Two than if you were seating over by the Frank's quarters.

The Diary

To the left and above is the real diary and the below images are of the one we created. Exterior is the work of Properties Master, Timothy Smith and the Interior I did myself.