Senior Rachel Boekhaus has nerves flittering around in her stomach like a swarm of angry butterflies-it’s time to get into character for her role as Renee in her play “Anne Frank and Me.”

“I use my nerves to make my performance stronger,” said Boekhaus.

Boekhaus and fellow classmate sophomore Hannah Ash are a part of “Anne Frank and Me” being presented by the Arts Live Theatre in Fayetteville under the direction of Jason Suel.

“Anne Frank and Me” is the story of a modern day teen who is confused as to what she believes regarding the validity of the Holocaust.  She gets hit by a car and travels back in time to Nazi-occupied France where she meets Anne Frank.

“I play Suzanne Lee, best friend of one of the main characters’.  She is a very sweet new girl who is a great dancer,” said Ash.

Boekhaus also has an important role, complex role.

“In the past, I play Renee who is the main character, Nicole’s, teacher.  She is very mean and has a crush on the principal of the school where she teaches.  In the present, I also Nicole’s mother who is married to the principal,” said Boekhaus.

The play premiered Feb. 16 and continues until Feb. 20, but all of the snow in early February added an extra amount of stress for the two young actresses.

“The snow caused many missed rehearsals, and we had to throw together a great show in less than a week,” said Ash.

“For a long time we were worried the show wouldn’t be as good as it could,” said Boekhaus.

Being an actress means memorizing countless lines and delivering a performance that showcases the character’s personality.

“Memorizing lines isn’t too hard.  I read over them with my nephew and at rehearsal with the other cast members,” said Boekhaus.

“[Lines] feel natural to say them as my character.  I used flash cards with cues at first,” said Ash.

For Boekhaus and Ash, acting is more than just playing the role of a character.

“I’ve been a part of shows since I was a freshman.  It’s always something new and I get to add my personality to my character’s personality to deliver a great performance,” said Boekhaus.

“When I act, I get to be someone else.  It’s a nice escape because I can feel pretty and confident,” said Ash.