“The Diary of Anne Frank,” a sobering true-to-life play about the renowned Jewish girl, will be at Stephens Auditorium tonight for one performance at 7:30 p.m.The play, put on by the Montana Repertory Theatre, is based on a journal kept by Frank, during her family’s stay in the secret annex, or attic, of her father’s business in Amsterdam. She wrote it in 1942, only weeks after celebrating her 13th birthday.Sara Huber, advertising coordinator at the Iowa State Center, said this production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” by the Montana Rep. was chosen to be a part of the Season at Stephens because of its prestigious credits.”We research the companies we book and only select quality programs for our season to ensure our guests see the best performances,” Huber said. “The Montana Rep. was an experienced group. Besides touring for 32 years, The Montana Rep.’s dedication to telling the most momentous stories that define our global and intimate histories is what prompted the Iowa State Center to book this quality theater group.”The Frank family moved from Frankfurt, Germany to Holland in 1933, after Hitler came to power, making it nearly impossible, even illegal, for Jews to live freely in their own country.The Franks, along with several family friends, lived in total silence during the work day for more than two years. They were not allowed to move freely about their living space or even use the toilet during daylight hours for fear of being discovered by the workers in the building below their hiding place.The part of Anne Frank will be played by Tara Lynn Sullivan, a 1999 graduate of the University of Montana. According to her company biography, Sullivan dreams of playing someone her own age. She toured with the Montana Rep. in 1997 on their national tour of “To Kill a Mockingbird.””I’ve always been interested in the Anne Frank story, and when visiting Amsterdam, I saw the Anne Frank house,” she said in her bio. “I just became even more intrigued.” Many students are familiar with the story of Anne Frank’s life and are interested in seeing the play based on that knowledge.Amy Anderson, sophomore in animal ecology, and her roommate Lisa Loftus, sophomore in animal ecology pre-vet, are two such students.”After reading ‘The Diary of Anne Frank,’ I was captivated by the fact that it was a true story,” Anderson said.Anderson and Loftus visited the actual annex where the Frank family was hiding from the Nazis on their way back to the states from a trip to Africa.”Just knowing that Anne Frank had been in that house for so long and that she had experienced so much there … I just remember looking out the windows and thinking that those were the same windows that she had looked out,” Loftus said. “I remember just feeling eerie the whole time we were in there… I kept getting the chills.””We could see the actual pencil markings on the wall that periodically recorded the height of everyone living there,” Anderson added. “We also saw Anne’s bedroom, her personal photographs and pictures cut out of magazines that were hanging on her walls.””Some parts of the house, like the entrance, seemed more like a museum,” Anderson said. “After you went upstairs to the living quarters, it was so real. It was kind of strange knowing that you were standing in the same exact place as Anne Frank.”One of the most amazing things to see was the movable bookcase and long, vertical staircase that lead to the Frank’s secret annex, Anderson said.Anderson hopes to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of Frank’s life and all that she went through at such a young age by attending the performance tonight.”I hope that they do justice to her life,” Loftus said.Tickets are on sale through all Ticketmaster Centers, the Iowa State Center ticket office and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are on sale now for $25, $20 and $15. ISU students and patrons 18 and under can purchase tickets for $12.50, $10 and $7.50.