Theater seeks help after Orange County schools cancel Anne Frank field trip over bus shortages
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
A local theater company is asking the community for help after it says four Orange County schools canceled plans days before they were going to attend its production of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” citing a lack of transportation.
The Bridge Theater Company is performing the play for students from 16 schools across several counties. The company provides the performances free to middle and high school students, but organizers said four schools may now miss the show unless funding can be raised for charter buses.
“We were just overwhelmed at how fast it happened and how last minute it happened to hit us,” Bridge Theater Artistic Director Karen Rugerio told WESH 2.
The cancellations came just days before the company was scheduled to begin its second week of performances.
“In the last 24 hours, we had four schools from those three days tell us that they’re not able to bring their students because they are not able to provide the transportation necessary to get there,” Bridge Theater Company President Jennifer Jacobson told WESH 2.
The company said it received emails from the schools explaining that buses were not available.
“The cutbacks in Orange County are just devastating right now, and we’ve got to get these kids here to the theater so that the teachers can go back and they can extend the conversation,” Rugerio said. “They can move to Holocaust education and the bigger picture of why we need to be addressing these problems.”
Each performance is followed by a question-and-answer session, allowing students to speak with the cast and crew about the play’s complex themes.
“They’re not just seeing the show,” Jacobson said. “Being able to interact afterward really further opens that door and connects them to the material, and then they buy in.”
Sasha Bloom, who plays Anne Frank and is also an OCPS student, said the production carries lessons that remain relevant today.
“I think it’s just so important because it teaches empathy and how hatred can really get out of control,” Bloom said. “I think it teaches people that we can’t let history repeat itself, which is very important.”
The Bridge Theater Company is seeking donations to pay for outside transportation so the affected students can attend. Anyone interested in donating can do so here.