Cast member Lauren Piester continues our backstage look at the making of Uni's fall play, "The Diary of Anne Frank," which opens Thursday night. "As you might imagine, this is not a light play," Lauren writes. "It's intense, emotional, complex, and altogether draining." Read on for more as the cast gets closer to opening night.

This year's fall play, "The Diary of Anne Frank," opens on Thursday night. But the cast members still have a ways to go before they'll be ready. Michelle Gao, who plays Miep, starts off the fall play diaries, which will run the rest of the week.

How do Uni actors get ready for a big production? It's not all about rehearsing after school. Five members of this year's fall play spent 19 hours at TALENT, a thespian leadership conference at Unity High School. They're hoping the time they spent there will pay off when "The Diary of Anne Frank" debuts Thursday night at 7 in the North Attic Playhouse.