Considered one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful plays in recent years, Proof by American playwright David Auburn, will be presented at The Alex Theatre in St Kilda from 9 June 2016.
Directed by Emily O’Brien-Brown, Proof is a remarkable and luminous play about fathers and daughters, genius and insanity, legacy and truth. Everyone has parents and everyone aspires to be like them in some way. But what happens when there’s a distinct possibility that we may inherit their talent…and their madness.
Catherine is a 25 year-old woman, who has spent her adult life caring for her father Robert, a brilliant mathematician who had rewritten the mathematical theories in 3 different fields by his mid-20s but who then suffered debilitating mental illness during most of the rest of his life.
When Hal, a former student of Robert’s, makes a startling discovery in one of Robert’s notebooks, Catherine must face the sibling rivalry between herself and her sister Claire, and her own fears that she might be following in her father’s footsteps, both mathematically and mentally and her desperate attempts to stay in control.
Auburn’s play is at turns a comedy, a mystery, a family drama and a romance, and audiences have cheered the production around the world for its craft and intelligence.
“Proof is about the legacy of a once brilliant man who is afflicted with a debilitating mental illness and his daughter’s journey to discover how much of his genius and/or madness she has inherited,” says Director Emily O’Brien-Brown. “At the core of it, the show is about family, grief and four people at a turning point in their lives; forcing them to face and accept themselves in order to move on. It is an elegant and engaging story of passion, genius, and family bonds.”
From the moment it first opened Off-Broadway in May of 2000, Proof met with tremendous critical acclaim. It won the Drama Desk Award for Best New Play, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, The New York Drama Critics’ Circle Best Play Award, and – most notably – the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A 2005 film adaptation was directed by John Madden, starring Gwyneth Paltrow as Catherine, along with Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
David Auburn is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. In addition to proof, his works for theatre include: Are You Ready?, Damage Control, Fifth Planet, Miss You, Three Monologues, We Had A Very Good Time, What Do You Believe About The Future?, Skyscraper, The Columnist, and Lost Lake. He was script consultant on tick, tick…BOOM! His screenplays include: Proof, The Lake House, and The Girl in the Park, in which he was also the director.
Director: Emily O’Brien-Brown Featuring: Roy Barker, Anna Burgess, Madeleine Jevic, Mark Yeates
Proof
The Alex Theatre, 135 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
Season: 9 – 19 June 2016
Bookings: (03) 8534 9300 or online at: www.alextheatrestk.com
For more information, visit: www.artefacttheatre.com for details.
Image: Madeleine Jevic features in Artefact Theatre Company’s production of Proof (supplied)