Act 1 Scene 1 Summary

The events take place in Amsterdam, Holland, during the years of World War II and immediately thereafter. The scenery remains the same throughout the play. It is the top floor of a warehouse and office building in Amsterdam. There are three rooms on the top floor and a small attic space, accessed by a narrow flight of stairs up the back. The rooms are sparsely furnished, and the windows are blacked out. There is a small, steep stairwell leading down to the building below that has been concealed from view on the lower floor by a bookcase.

Mr. Frank enters the upper floor through the small stairwell. Looking around he sees and picks up a woman's white glove and begins to cry. Miep Gies, a Dutch girl of about 22 and pregnant, comes to find Mr. Frank and urges him to go...