On January 17th, students at the Project School in Bloomington gathered in a classroom to watch an interactive presentation about the life of Anne Frank. The recital was the first in a series of public school performances in the area, conducted by members of the Jacobs School of Music to raise awareness of opera and the life of Anne Frank.
Anne Slovin, a third-year doctoral student at IU, played the role of Anne Frank, one of two cast members, and performed selected music from the production. Slovin said she played the role of Anne Her Frank in the first workshop in 2019 before COVID-19 delayed her production until May 2022, making her such a historically iconic She said she was honored to portray such a character.
“If I had been born in Europe in 1929 as a Jewish woman, I would probably have had the same experience as she did,” Srobin said. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to represent her on stage and through her music.”
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The presentation covered not only the life of Anne Frank, but also the events of the Holocaust and its impact on Jews, which Slovin felt was essential to understand.
“We want our students to understand not only the horror and tragedy of the Holocaust, but the resilience and vibrancy of Jewish life and culture,” Srobin said.
The music played during the presentation detailed the excitement of Anne Frank’s 13th birthday and was composed by Shulamit Ran, with whom Srobin worked closely for the production.
“It’s really cool to learn from a living composer,” Srobin said. “It’s really exhilarating for me to have the opportunity to shape the role and make it happen for the first time.”
Assisting with the presentation was Sarah Adol Kirkman McDonie, Ph.D. IU’s musicology candidate. McDonie took the role of presenter with an interest in the original score composed for “Anne Frank”.
“It’s a new style of music that’s different from what you normally listen to,” says McDonie. “I was very interested in how composer Shulamit Ran would create a sonic world for this particular story.”
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McDonie led the presentation in a slideshow, showing photos from Anne Frank’s diary and highlighting her evocative and moving optimism in the face of a time of frightening uncertainty.
“There were moments that were really upsetting in the face of what was going on in the outside world,” McDonie said. “She created this utopian space in her journal for herself, creating a different sense of what her post-war life would be like.”
The presentation ended with several descriptions of the opera, but most importantly, McDonie shared the story of Anne Frank and explained how it was important for her to remain educated on the topics surrounding her. am.
“Anne reminds us that we are just one in the millions,” McDonie said. “Her story is an example of how this has impacted individuals on a personal level. It’s nothing more than
The Musical Arts Center will premiere “Anne Frank” with a two-person cast on March 3rd. Tickets are available from the Jacobs School of Music website.