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<\/a>ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. \u2014<\/p>\nA 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 \u201cThe Diary of Anne Frank,\u201d citing a lack of transportation.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were just overwhelmed at how fast it happened and how last minute it happened to hit us,\u201d Bridge Theater Artistic Director Karen Rugerio told WESH 2. <\/p>\n
The cancellations came just days before the company was scheduled to begin its second week of performances.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last 24 hours, we had four schools from those three days tell us that they\u2019re not able to bring their students because they are not able to provide the transportation necessary to get there,\u201d Bridge Theater Company President Jennifer Jacobson told WESH 2. <\/p>\n
The company said it received emails from the schools explaining that buses were not available.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cutbacks in Orange County are just devastating right now, and we\u2019ve got to get these kids here to the theater so that the teachers can go back and they can extend the conversation,\u201d Rugerio said. \u201cThey can move to Holocaust education and the bigger picture of why we need to be addressing these problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each performance is followed by a question-and-answer session, allowing students to speak with the cast and crew about the play\u2019s complex themes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not just seeing the show,\u201d Jacobson said. \u201cBeing able to interact afterward really further opens that door and connects them to the material, and then they buy in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sasha Bloom, who plays Anne Frank and is also an OCPS student, said the production carries lessons that remain relevant today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s just so important because it teaches empathy and how hatred can really get out of control,\u201d Bloom said. \u201cI think it teaches people that we can\u2019t let history repeat itself, which is very important.\u201d<\/p>\n