Synopsis
Toying with the notion that Anne Frank is indeed alive and well (or seemingly so), ANNE
FRANK IS ALIVE, IN THERAPY, & DOING THE BEST SHE CAN is a laugh out loud
dark comedy that delves into what happens after this discovery is made and the worldwide
frenzy that occurs thereafter.
The play is constructed in the manner of a short play cycle, leading one to wonder if it is
a collection of short plays that all stand on their own, each with their own beginning,
middle and ending ~ or ~ is it indeed a completely unified play where each act draws
from the previous one, providing us with more story and more information to wrap ourselves
up in. From Hollywood jumping on the bandwagon and cashing in on the phenomena
by turning Anne Frank into a zombie-killing superhero (and having an Anne
Frank action figure toy tie-in with McDonald's Happy Meals); to a precocious child told
by her not-so-progressive-after-all school that she can not dress up as Anne Frank hiding
from the Nazis for Halloween; to a gay couple worried about their son's overt "interest"
in Anne Frank; to a celebrity look alike agency trying to find the perfect Anne because
the agency owner is convinced that along with his Elvis, Princess Di, Marilyn
Monroe, and all his other look alike dead celebrities, someone has just got to order
up an Anne Frank; to THE real Anne Frank, herself, appearing on a TV talk show to
clear up the rumors about her so-called death, and to state that she never wanted the
diary to be published in the first place, as it has contributed to ruining her life.
ANNE FRANK IS ALIVE, IN THERAPY, & DOING THE BEST SHE CAN takes a brazen
look at society and its treatment of its icons, particularly “child stars” and why the public
turns on them for doing what we all do: grow up and grow older. It also examines the
accidental celebrity and the toll it takes on the humanity of its person.
Tag Line
The rumors of Anne Frank’s death have been highly exaggerated.