"Letters from Anne and Martin" Highlights Legendary Figures

Nichols Middle School and Upper School students watched a stirring performance of "Letters from Anne and Martin" on Tuesday, October 12. 

This performance is a dramatic presentation drawn entirely from the text of Anne Frank’s "The Diary of a Young Girl" (1947, expanded 1995) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963). Students, faculty, and staff engaged in a question-and-answer session with the actors after the performance. Buffalo native Parish Bradley (left in cover photo) portrayed Dr. King, and Olivia Konteatis (right) played the role of Anne Frank.

Thank you to Director of Inclusivity and Community Building Dr. Ramone Alexander and the Nichols alumni who worked to help bring The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect at the University of South Carolina to Western New York. The performances preceded the group's participation in the Buffalo State Social Justice Festival from October 13-15. 

"Letters from Anne and Martin" balances the experiences of both legendary figures with the inspirational words of their hopes and plans for a peaceful and unified world. This unique adaptation of combining their iconic words illustrates how both Martin Luther King and Anne Frank were born in 1929 and although they lived on continents 5,000 miles apart and suffered fates in different decades, they still shared parallel experiences living in the shadow of hatred and prejudice. The performance shows how injustices still exist and promotes constructive ideas on how to confront intolerance and discrimination today.