The Albright Theatre recently debuted Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” written by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and inspired by Frank’s own words.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” tells the tale of a young Jewish girl who is ripped from her normal life and forced into hiding during World War II. Through her eyes, readers of the book and audiences of the show witness not only Anne’s journey into adolescence, but her struggle for survival.

“It is hard to put into words what the experience is like to direct a show as touching as this,” director J.P. Quirk of South Elgin said in a recent news release. “Oscar Wilde said ‘I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.’ I have had the pleasure of watching my cast be very human and very real in this show.”

The precocious and intelligent Anne Frank is portrayed by Casey Watson of Wheaton. Laura Beitler of Batavia plays Anne’s older, more obedient sister, Margot Frank. The Frank family is completed by Jeff Small of Elgin as Otto Frank and Beth Oberle of St. Charles as Edith Frank. Jon Witt of Naperville plays Hermann van Daan, whose wife, Petronella van Daan, is played by Erin Cauley of St. Charles. Their son, Peter van Daan, is played by Aidan Descourouez of Batavia. Gary Krolik of Montgomery joins the two families as Mr. Dussel.

Heidi Swarthout of Oswego and Alexander Seymour of Aurora as Miep Gies and Mr. Kraler join forces to assist the other families. Rounding out the cast are soldiers: August Anderson and Michael Gustin, both of Batavia and Tim Lieske of Aurora. Quirk is joined by stage manager Jennifer Ring.

“Being a part of a show as powerful as this has truly been a wonderful experience,” Quirk said in the release. “The cast has really put their hearts into in and I am confident that we will have a wonderful show.”

“The Diary of Anne Frank” opened Feb. 25 and will run weekends through March 12. Performance times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost $13 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Call 630-406-8838 to make reservations. For more information, visit the Albright Theatre website at www.albrighttheatre.com. The Albright Theatre is located at 100 N. Island Ave. in Batavia.

Also, $1 from every ticket purchased for “The Diary of Anne Frank” will be donated to benefit the efforts of The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie.

If you go

What: Albright Theatre's "The Diary of Anne Frank"

When: Weekends through March 12; show times are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Albright Theatre, 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia

Information: www.albrighttheatre.com