Touched by The Anne Frank House

I think it’s utterly amazing how sometimes in our lives we’ll experience something; not ever realizing it will contribute to an experience in our unseen future.

Back in the mid 70’s, while performing a musical review in Amsterdam, Holland, I had the opportunity to take a tour of The Anne Frank House.

Sure, I had read The Diary of Anne Frank in grammar school, however the story didn’t affect me as deeply, until I was actually in the place where it happened.

Walking though the house was like taking a voyage in a time machine, transporting me back in history where I could actually feel the paralyzing fear, courage, and heart-break, as it lingered in the air like a heavy blanket of emotional memories; never to be forgotten.

I literally found it difficult to breathe.

Outside of occasionally hearing someone weep, the tour was virtually silent. It was as if we were walking through a place of sacredness, unable to put into words what we were feeling.

It was incomprehensible to me how these eight people lived in such a small space for over two years.

A rear view of The Anne Frank House (the Annex window on the roof).

The bookcase hiding the Secret Annex.

I can remember walking through this doorway; feeling chills.

Anne’s room, which she share with Mr. Dussel (the dentist).

Anne collected photographs of movie stars, which she glued on the wall in her room.

A closer view of the wall. Notice the photograph of actress Norma Shearer on the lower right-hand corner. Norma was one of Anne’s favorite movie stars at the time.

I recall walking through the room and gently running my left hand over the glass-sealed wall; knowing at one time Anne Frank had touched that wall.

An open page of the actual diary of Anne Frank.

Now, what’s really incredible about this story is that 20 something years later, I was cast in a professional theatrical production of the play, The Diary of Anne Frank. I portrayed Mr. Dussel, the man who shared a room with Anne. And can I just tell you how honored and reverent I felt, portraying a real-life person who was a part of this amazing story.

This was one of those times in my career that was Divinely orchestrated.

Because every night before the curtain went up, all I had to do was remember what it was like to walk through that house in Amsterdam….

and I was there.

"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." ~ Anne Frank