Wolfpack Theatre Company brings Holocaust testimonies to life

The Wolfpack Theatre Company at Glacier High School presents the unique retelling of the Holocaust through the eyes of Anne Frank’s friends and contemporaries in its upcoming production of “And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank,” a powerful and haunting multimedia play by James Still, Nov. 18, 19 and 20 in the Wolfpack Theatre at GHS.

Advanced tickets for the show are available on GoFan, Glacier’s on-line ticketing service, and at Photo Video Plus.  Any remaining tickets will also be sold at the door.  Ticket prices are $8 for adults and $6 for children, students and senior citizens.  To access the ticketing service, go to gofan.co and search for Glacier High School.  Each showtime is listed for ticket purchase.

Unlike traditional Holocaust dramas that focus on Anne Frank’s diary, this play tells the real stories of two of Anne Frank’s friends —  Eva Schloss and Ed Silverberg (also known as Helmuth “Hello” Silberberg). Both were Jewish teenagers living in Europe during World War II. Instead of focusing on Anne Frank’s famous diary, this play mixes filmed interviews with the real Eva and Ed with live acting on stage. The result is a compelling blend of documentary and drama that blurs the line between past and present.

“The play moves fluidly between past and present, weaving documentary theatre with traditional performance,” said director, Greg Adkins. “It asks us all to confront history while recognizing its echoes today.”

The story begins in the late 1930s, as Nazi power spreads across Europe. Eva’s family escapes from Austria, and Ed leaves Germany for Amsterdam, where both eventually meet Anne Frank. When the Nazis invade the Netherlands, the friends are forced into hiding, living in fear of being discovered. The play follows their struggles, the pain of being captured, and the strength it took to survive concentration camps.

“And Then They Came for Me” reminds the audience that history isn’t a distant fact memorized from a book, but is made up of individuals, friends…adults and teens, whose lives were upended by intolerance and hatred. The play immerses the audience in a world of hate — graphic, loud, and unavoidable — before offering a fragile glimpse of hope.

“At its heart, this play is about the corrosive power of hate — how unchecked prejudice and violence destroyed millions of lives during the Holocaust, and how those same seeds of hate continue to grow in our world today,” said Adkins. “This production will not only honor Eva, Ed, and Anne’s stories but will also challenge audiences to recognize how the language and symbols of hate still manifest in our culture, politics, and communities. Hate is not a relic of the past — it is urgent...it is present…it is dangerous.”

“And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank” is presented by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois.

The cast of “And Then They Came for Me” includes Myla Lamson, Autumn Bashara, Kaylin Stein, Megan Mikelson, Trevor Hammer, Daniel Cole-Heinz, Tregan Blades, and Anda Wahl.

 The show also employs a large ensemble: Abigail Hailey, Andrea Dorsett, Aubrie Youell, Christina Eddins, Emma Presley, Faith Fernandez, Fenyx Colby, Hannah Heward, Iris Gagne, Kaliah Imperato, Kyla Turley, Lillie Groom, Natalie Kossak, Sophya Allred, Theron Wilton, and Wayland Ludwig.

 Behind the scenes, the technical crew includes Hilda Weber, Naemi Creighton, Isabelle McKoy, Rachel Brannan, Layla Pate, Micah Pichardo, Eric Haley, and Bosley Wakefield.