Brilliant or Beyond the Pale? Woke Satire of Anne Frank Divides New York Theatergoers

An off-Broadway musical that retells the story of Holocaust victim Anne Frank through the lens of contemporary identity politics is testing the limits of satire in New York’s theater world.“Slam Frank” transforms the doomed Jewish diarist into “Anita,” a pansexual Latina who’s hiding from the Nazis with her neurodiverse family and her non-binary romantic partner. The production, which had its premiere September 17 at a Gramercy-based comedy venue, Asylum, has already been anointed “the most divisive show in New York.” Writers Andrew Fox and Joel Sinensky conceived the show after a viral Twitter debate questioned whether Frank ever “acknowledged” her “white privilege.”The exchange inspired them to satirize what they saw as society’s obsession with inclusion and identity politics — exploring how Frank’s story might be told by someone who believes “maybe now is not the time for us to center these privileged, straight, white European Jews.”The result is a World War II reimagining where yellow Star of David patches become rainbow pronoun pins, and characters grapple with defying societal expectations and fighting the patriarchy alongside — instead of escaping — the Nazis.Reactions have been predictably polarized. Supporters praise the show as a clever lampoon of performative progressive culture.New York Times reviewer Laura Collins-Hughes, while noting the production is “a little baggy, a bit bombastic,” commends it for building “a very strong case about the dehumanizing danger of seeking out differences rather than similarities” and showcasing the pitfalls of those who “prioritize rigidity over complexity in storytelling.”Critics, however, accuse Messrs. Fox and Sinensky of crossing a line. A Change.org petition demanding the show’s cancellation has collected more than 670 signatures, with the organizers calling the production “deeply offensive” to the memory of Holocaust victims.“In a time where Holocaust denial and antisemitism are at an all-time high, and there are fewer and fewer survivors around, we must focus on telling the true stories of the Holocaust,” says a scathing review in a New Jersey-based paper focused on Jewish issues, Jewish Link.“We as a community must demand respect be given to Jewish stories as it would to other cultures’, and that is no laughing matter.” Some reviewers have struggled to identify the satire’s actual target.“At points, the show seems to mock Zionism, anti-Zionism, and Judaism simultaneously,” notes the Forward. “But is this an example of protest humor against the demonization of Jews? Is it a Jewish writer engaging in self-deprecating humor? Or is it superiority humor that looks down at religious Jews? Paradoxically, it could be all three at the same time, but it is impossible to say.” Mr. Fox has remained committed to his woke-playwright persona, offering little clarity. When asked about the backlash, he responded in character: “Besides the devastating effect this tidal wave of criticism has had on my mental health (I have RSD — Rejection Sensitivity Disorder), the petitions and outcries have been extremely bad for our sales.”Regardless, New Yorkers can’t seem to get enough. After selling out its initial 34-performance run, “Slam Frank” has extended for an additional two weeks.

Brilliant or Beyond the Pale? Woke Satire of Anne Frank Divides New York Theatergoers

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