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The Diary of Anne Frank Auditions

This heart-wrenching story depicts the deprivation faced by eight people hiding from the Nazis during World War II while it shines a light on Anne’s indomitable spirit and her desire for a better world. Wendy Kesselman’s gripping new adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank, a play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett based upon Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl introduces a new generation to the atrocities of Nazi Germany. By weaving in survivor accounts and recently discovered writings from Anne’s diary, this gripping play is a must-see.

Audition Dates

  • Saturday, December 6, 2025: 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Auditions @ Birmingham Village Players)
    • Please sign up for a one-hour character/time slot on Sign Up Genius: Click Here
  • Sunday, December 7, 2025: 1 – 6 p.m. (Callbacks @ Offsite location to be announced)
  • Click here to print this audition notice

Performance Dates & (NEW) Time

  • Performance Dates: March 6, 7, 8, 11*, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 2026
  • Performance Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays @ 7:30 pm**; Sundays @ 2 pm.
    • *Special School Matinee Performance: There will be a special school matinee on Wednesday, March 11 @ 10 a.m.  Please note this is during the work week and will require your daytime availability for this performance.
    • **Please note that BVP has updated our start time for all main stage productions from 8 p.m. to 7:30 pm., effective September 2025.

Rehearsal Schedule

Rehearsals are tentatively Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings, but are subject to change once the show is cast based on the cast members’ availability

Meet the Production Team

  • Director: Michael Gravame 
  • Producers: Jennifer Jones & Susie Skibicki
  • Stage Manager: Caroline Dargay

Character Descriptions

The ages listed are the characters’ ages and not necessarily the ages of the actors, especially for Anne, Margot and Peter.

We are committed to inclusive casting. Actors of all races, ethnicities, genders, abilities, and backgrounds are encouraged to audition. While honoring the historical context of The Diary of Anne Frank, we welcome diverse representation in telling this important story.

  • Anne Frank (* portrays13-15):
    • An energetic, witty, and perceptive young girl. She is warm, imaginative, often impatient, sometimes a know-it-all, rebellious, determined, hopeful, talkative and passionate. She is very introspective with natural charisma. Anne is a teenager full of curiosity and contradictions. She is bubbly one moment and frustrated the next. She matures emotionally and intellectually over the course of the play.  Actor must have a strong stage presence and be able to show a wide emotional range with excellent narration skills.
      * = We will consider an actor in her 20s if she can realistically and effectively portray a teenager.
  • Mr. Otto Frank – (50s):
    • Anne’s father and the calm, steady leader of the group. Otto is compassionate, wise, and deeply protective of his family. He often acts as the voice of reason during tense moments but carries the heavy burden of responsibility. He is fair, attentive, patient, and level-headed, with warmth and quiet strength, but secretly heartbroken beneath his composed exterior. Otto has a grounded presence.  He has a close relationship with Anne.
  • Mrs. Edith Frank – (40s):
    • Anne’s mother. She is moral, cultured and devoted to tradition. She longs for peace, dignity and tries to maintain a sense of normalcy. Edith is nurturing but can be anxious with a strong sense of inner and emotional conflict, who is barely able to cope with the demands of everyday life in hiding. She is reserved and prefers showing her love in quieter, more practical ways.  She constantly struggles to connect with Anne whom she has a complicated relationship with.
  • Margot Frank – (*portrays 16-18):
    • Anne’s older sister. She is quiet, polite, intelligent, introverted, serious, poised, responsible, thoughtful and studious. Margot is more reserved and mature, often contrasting to Anne’s lively personality. She is often seen as the “ideal” daughter and carries herself older than her teenage years with a sense of calm and duty.
      * = We will consider an actor in her 20s if she can realistically and effectively portray a teenager.
  • Mr. Van Daan (Hermann Van Pels) (40s-50s):
    • An irritable former business partner of Mr. Frank. A complex character, frequently seen as gruff or self-interested, but has the capacity for warmth and loyalty. He struggles with the pressures of hiding and providing for his family. He is opinionated, hardheaded, selfish, sarcastic, pompous and somewhat egotistical. He’s known for his frequent arguments with his wife and tends to be openly critical of others, especially Anne and his son Peter.
  • Mrs. Van Daan (Auguste Van Pels) (40s):
    • Mr. Van Daan’s wife. She is social and somewhat vain, craving attention and content despite their difficult situation. She is loud, meddling, flirtatious, comedic, argumentative and concerned with appearances. She is overly dramatic but cares deeply for her family. Mrs. Van Daan clings to vanity and former social status and the material things of life, including a fur coat she brought to the attic with her. These traits all make her the center of much of the conflict in the attic. She brings much levity and humor to the play.
  • Peter Van Daan (Peter Van Pels) (*16-18):
    • The teenage son of the Van Daans. He is shy, insecure, unsure, introverted, sensitive and thoughtful. Peter is quiet, socially awkward, sometimes amusing and withdrawn. He struggles with identity and masculinity.  Peter gradually evolves, becoming more open, helpful, and emotionally mature, forming a tender bond of friendship and later a romantic interest with Anne, sharing a first kiss together. 
      * = We will consider an actor in his 20s if he can realistically and effectively portray a teenager.
  • Mr. Dussel (Fritz Pfeffer) (50s):
    • A dentist who joins the group later. He is fussy, nervous, stodgy, meticulous, anxious, hypercritical, irritable and a stubborn man. He is rigid in his routines and finds it hard to adjust to the close quarters. His presence adds tension while highlighting the strain of their confinement. He also has some comical moments as well.  He often clashes with Anne. Actor must possess: Strong comedic rhythm for tense or awkward moments and the ability to play anxiety and fussiness without losing sympathy.
  • Miep Gies (20s–30s):
    • An Austrian refugee living in the Netherlands, employed by Mr. Frank, entrusted with provisioning the occupants of the Annex with food, supplies and hiding them from the Nazis. She is courageous, empathetic, generous, warm, composed, sincere, modern, independent, compassionate, kind, spunky, selfless and well-liked. Miep is the lifeline to the outside world and possesses hope and humility.
  • Mr. Kraler (40s):
    • A businessman who works with Miep with the responsibilities of feeding and protecting the occupants of the Annex. He is an employee of Mr. Frank’s company, a trusted colleague and friend. He is loyal, steady, honest and sensible. Mr. Kraler assists in keeping the group safe, despite increasing danger. He is a man of few words who risks everything to help.
  • Three Male Extras (20s-30s):
    • A Nazi Officer and two Dutch Collaborators who appear at the very end of the play but are exceedingly important. They do not have any lines except for some short commands in German, but it is their appearance in the play that changes the course of everything for the “attic family.”  Those who play these parts will be given a very flexible rehearsal schedule.

Audition Cuts

Unless indicated, please choose one monologue for your audition. Please choose the monologue of the character that is your first preference. We prefer the monologue to be memorized or at least be very familiar, so you are not just reading it.

Directors’ Notes to Those Auditioning

  • If you would like to review the full script, please email the Director at michael.gravame@birminghamvillageplayers.com
  • Please sign up for a one-hour character/time slot on Sign Up Genius: Click Here
  • You can sign up for more than one character in the same time slot (but please only sign up for two in any given time slot).
  • You can sign up for a different time slot as well, if you prefer to concentrate on just one character at a time or if there are more than two you are auditioning for.
  • Auditions will consist of readings from the script and a prepared character monologue.
  • If you are called back, you must be available on December 7th.
  • Please come prepared.
  • All roles require strong ensemble work and the ability to portray a wide range of emotions.
  • This play is a powerful and deeply moving dramatization of the real-life diary of Anne Frank.
  •  Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation includes more historical context and emphasizes the persecution Anne and millions of others faced simply for being Jewish.
  • Because of the emotional and historical weight of this story, we ask that all auditioning approach the material with deep empathy, respect, and sensitivity. An understanding of, or willingness to learn about, Jewish culture, identity, and the tragic history of the Holocaust is essential.
  • We aim to honor Anne Frank’s memory and the memory of all victims of the Holocaust with this production.

Questions?
Please contact michael.gravame@birminghamvillageplayers.com