According to the Public, "It is 1951, and Sid Silver is on a mission to be the guardian of one of the most moving and provocative accounts of the 20th century. Deeply moved by Anne Frank's diary, he is driven to bring her story to the American masses by promoting the book's publication and adapting the diary into a work of theatre… a complex and inventive telling that is part historical fiction, part investigation into what makes a man obsess, and part exploration of an untold dimension of Anne Frank's powerful and enduring legacy."
Here is a first look at Compulsion:
Patinkin originated the role in Groff's drama at the Yale Repertory Theatre in early 2010 and also appeared in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre engagement in September. The play, which conjures historic characters through the use of puppets, is inspired by real events surrounding Meyer Levin's battle to have his adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank" produced on stage.
Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis, who staged the Yale Rep world premiere, repeats his work for the Off-Broadway bow. Compulsion will officially open Feb. 17 and continue through March 13.
The Public Theater run reunites the Berkeley Rep cast, including Hannah Cabell (A Man for All Seasons, In the Next Room…) and Matte Osian (Twelfth Night, Twelve Angry Men). Cabell also appeared alongside Patinkin in the Yale Rep premiere.
For tickets phone (212) 967-7555 or visit PublicTheater.
The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street in Manhattan.