Monday, August 3, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
PRODUCING THE PLAY
Beowulf Alley Theatre Company
"Kim Tobin’s Claire pushed the edges of bossiness as the not-as-smart-as-Catherine older sister. Jim Salners (Robert) delivered an understated but moving performance as the dead mathematician. In addition to strong performances by all, it was the chemistry between various pairs that moved the drama along."
East West Players
Production Problems Posed by the Text
I think the major problem that the text presents is that in between Acts I and II scenes do not go in chronological order and it can present problem for the audience because they not be able to follow the play and be confused as to where they actually are in the show. When I saw the show for the first time as an audience member I was confused when it came to this part of the show. Jumping around without previous knowledge can be very confusing. I recommend that in the program an outline of scenes and dates in time be listed. Another problem that the text present is flash back scenes. There are flashback scenes with Robert in them and then there is also a present scene that Robert is in as a “ghost” or “memory”. If this is not addressed the audience will not grasp the full show, seeing how Robert visits Catherine after he is deceased and then his actual presence in the flashback scene at the beginning of Act II.
Tuscon, Arizona March 30, 2009
11 South 6th Avenue, Downtown Tucson
Director: Sheldon Metz
Cast: Jill Baker (Catherine)
Chris Farishon (Claire)
Jonathan Northover (Hal)
Roberto Guajardo (Robert)
Set Design: Sheldon Metz
No other designers included
"Beowulf Alley's production, directed by Sheldon Metz, doesn't play up Auburn's flashes of humor as effectively as the ATC effort did, but the character interactions are, for the most part, more supple and nuanced."
Tuscon Weekly (James Reel)
"Metz keeps the play's lines of communication as sleek and neat as one of those elegant formulas they talk about incessantly. All four actors move smoothly, making their stage personalities distinct, their thoughts clear. The tables of numbers they love may be multiplying themselves into infinity, but the actors keep their feet firmly planted onstage."
Tuscon Citizen (Chuck Graham)
Broadway Produ
ction
ctionWalter Kerr Theater
Oct 24, 2000 through Jan 5, 2003
Oct 24, 2000 through Jan 5, 2003
Director: Daniel Sullivan
Set Design: Jonh Lee Beatty
Costume Design: Jess Goldstein
Costume Design: Jess Goldstein
Lighting Design: Pat Collins
Sound Design: John Gromada
Cast:
Mary Louise Parker (Catherine)
Larry Bryggman (Robert)
Johanna Day (Claire)
Ben Shenkman (Hal)
''In math there's the idea of a curve that gets closer and closer to being a line,'' he said. ''As it gets closer it's just splitting the difference between itself and the line into smaller and smaller and smaller pieces, but it never quite gets there.''
The New York Times (MERVYN ROTHSTEIN)
"As elegant as the script and performances is Daniel Sullivan's direction which prevents the second act's tendency towards the pat and overly emotional from getting out of hand."
14243 Stuebner Airline Rd.
September 2008
Director: Craig A. Miller
Set & Light Design: Robert Eubanks
Costume Design: Fernando Zamudio
Cast:
Costume Design: Fernando Zamudio
Cast:
Kay Ann Allmand (Catherine)
Ryan Schabach (Hal)
Kim Tobin (Claire)
Jim Salners (Robert)
"Kim Tobin’s Claire pushed the edges of bossiness as the not-as-smart-as-Catherine older sister. Jim Salners (Robert) delivered an understated but moving performance as the dead mathematician. In addition to strong performances by all, it was the chemistry between various pairs that moved the drama along."
Arts Houston (Nancy Wozny)
"They realistically depict the back porch and yard of a somewhat tired looking, two-story home near the campus of the University of Chicago. There are pleasant French doors, hanging plants, wicker chairs, and dreamy lighting filters through the autumn trees that have already lost many of their leaves to the porch and yard."
The People's Critic (DAVID DOW BENTLEY III)
East West Players
Los Angeles California
2–27 February 2005
Directed by Heidi Helen Davis
Producing Artistic Director: Tim Dang
Producing Artistic Director: Tim Dang
Set Design: Victoria Petrovich
Costume Design: Dori Quan
Cast:
Kimiko Gelman (Catherine)
Dom Magwill (Robert)
Joanne Takahashi (Claire)
Joanne Takahashi (Claire)
David J. Lee (Hal)
"The all–AsianAmerican cast embraces this thoroughly Westernpiece, thereby abjuring the reductive images thathave too long exiled minority performers fromchallenging roles that seem to assume the need for so-called nonethnic casting."
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theatre_journal/v057/57.4lubin.pdf
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theatre_journal/v057/57.4lubin.pdf
Project Muse (CHERYL LUBIN)
"East West Players production of PROOF is an excellent opportunity to show the powerhouse of acting talent in the Asian Pacific American community and that minority actors do not need to be relegated to ethnic roles."
Asian American Theatre Revue (Roger W. Tang)
Donmar Warehouse
London
9 May to 15 June 2002
9 May to 15 June 2002
Director: John Madden
Cast:
Gwyneth Paltrow (Catherine)
Ronald Pickup (Robert)
Sara Stewart (Claire)
Richard Coyle (Hal)
Set Design: Rob Howell
Lighting Design: Paule Constable
"While the characterisation is good and some of the jokes funny, the second half of the play is something of a let down after a really satisfying build up. Everything becomes extremely predictable and the intellectual challenges set in the first half are not lived up to. Immediately before the interval a moment of shocking revelation is excellently delivered. Thereafter, the plotting becomes pedestrian. As we move backwards and forwards in time we learn no more about these potentially interesting characters. "
The British Theatre Guide (Philip Fisher)
"This production, directed by John 'Shakespeare In Love' Madden, for the Donmar's American Imports season, occasionally slips into sentimentality. Making the weathered porch (on which the whole play is set) revolve is a bit of a palaver too."
"This production, directed by John 'Shakespeare In Love' Madden, for the Donmar's American Imports season, occasionally slips into sentimentality. Making the weathered porch (on which the whole play is set) revolve is a bit of a palaver too."
What's on Stage.com (Terri Paddock)
Production Problems Posed by the Text
I think the major problem that the text presents is that in between Acts I and II scenes do not go in chronological order and it can present problem for the audience because they not be able to follow the play and be confused as to where they actually are in the show. When I saw the show for the first time as an audience member I was confused when it came to this part of the show. Jumping around without previous knowledge can be very confusing. I recommend that in the program an outline of scenes and dates in time be listed. Another problem that the text present is flash back scenes. There are flashback scenes with Robert in them and then there is also a present scene that Robert is in as a “ghost” or “memory”. If this is not addressed the audience will not grasp the full show, seeing how Robert visits Catherine after he is deceased and then his actual presence in the flashback scene at the beginning of Act II.
Problems Posed by Our Context
I know that it may come as a surprise given the types of shows and controversy that Sam Houston can create in the town of Huntsville, Texas (a.k.a “Angels in American”, “The Full Monty”) I don’t believe that this production would have the capability to cause an uproar in this town. The only reason that it would not be appropriate for audiences thirteen and under is because of the language. Four letter words are said in the play, but there is no nudity or controversial plot lines. I would think it would be a great production for the high school students of Huntsville to come and see. If I had to rate this play on a movie based scale I would rate it PG-13.
I know that it may come as a surprise given the types of shows and controversy that Sam Houston can create in the town of Huntsville, Texas (a.k.a “Angels in American”, “The Full Monty”) I don’t believe that this production would have the capability to cause an uproar in this town. The only reason that it would not be appropriate for audiences thirteen and under is because of the language. Four letter words are said in the play, but there is no nudity or controversial plot lines. I would think it would be a great production for the high school students of Huntsville to come and see. If I had to rate this play on a movie based scale I would rate it PG-13.
Productions’ Solutions
Lights and costumes were a big help in other productions to help distinguish the flashback scenes and the scenes that did not follow chronological order. With the flashback scene all that really needed to be changed to help show that it was not the present time of the play that is taking place were different costume choices. So productions did use different lights to give it that “flashback” feel. I don’t think that is entirely necessary to alter the lights but this could be a valuable means to help aid the audience. Now for the very first scene in which Robert visits Catherine after he is recently deceased most productions simply used a special (light instrument) to give the audience the feeling that something eerie was taking place.
Critical Response
Out of all of the reviews I read the acting was highly praised and the script was the object being criticized. Several reviews commented that the ending was very predictable and that the second act was “overly dramatic and got out of hand”. So maybe being cautious of that fact would prevent for another production. It has also been described as a let down since the first act of the show builds you up for a great discovery. I think the idea of the script to keep the audience on edge the whole time until the very end of the show is what gives way to the let down at the end. As long as the director is aware of the problem the text presents the show will have a fighting chance to avoid these kinds of critics. I was surprised that not of the textual problems I mentioned above were mentioned in the critiques, the reviews opened my eyes to more problems that can only be diagnosed by actually seeing the show.
Out of all of the reviews I read the acting was highly praised and the script was the object being criticized. Several reviews commented that the ending was very predictable and that the second act was “overly dramatic and got out of hand”. So maybe being cautious of that fact would prevent for another production. It has also been described as a let down since the first act of the show builds you up for a great discovery. I think the idea of the script to keep the audience on edge the whole time until the very end of the show is what gives way to the let down at the end. As long as the director is aware of the problem the text presents the show will have a fighting chance to avoid these kinds of critics. I was surprised that not of the textual problems I mentioned above were mentioned in the critiques, the reviews opened my eyes to more problems that can only be diagnosed by actually seeing the show.
Monday, July 20, 2009
The WORLD OF THE PLAY
Proof by: David Auburn
Setting: September 1, 2001
Songs and Pictures
(1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwHKh7MZtBg&feature=related
(Air, Alone in Kyoto)
I like this music a lot for the transistions between the scenes, I think of Catherine the second I hear this song because it is soft but has a mixture of creative undertones between the soft melodic parts.
(2)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynBd0i-bCOk
(Revolutionary Road Theme)
This would be great music for Robert's scenes and the flashback scenes. It has sadness in the chords but also a possibility for something new. Music is one of my favorite aspects of shows and I think this song really captures the feeling of the show.
(3)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyp34v6Lmcc
(The Arcade Fire, My Body is a Cage)
I think the lyrics of this song mirror those of Robert's and while Hal's Band plays a more "rock" or "punk" song at the beginning of one of the scenes, I think it would be an interesting detail if the band played this song.
(4) If the lighting in the show or the set could incorporate mathematical symbols I think it would give a feeling of confusion which would add another layer to the show.
Setting: September 1, 2001
Songs and Pictures
(1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwHKh7MZtBg&feature=related
(Air, Alone in Kyoto)
I like this music a lot for the transistions between the scenes, I think of Catherine the second I hear this song because it is soft but has a mixture of creative undertones between the soft melodic parts.
(2)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynBd0i-bCOk
(Revolutionary Road Theme)
This would be great music for Robert's scenes and the flashback scenes. It has sadness in the chords but also a possibility for something new. Music is one of my favorite aspects of shows and I think this song really captures the feeling of the show.
(3)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyp34v6Lmcc
(The Arcade Fire, My Body is a Cage)
I think the lyrics of this song mirror those of Robert's and while Hal's Band plays a more "rock" or "punk" song at the beginning of one of the scenes, I think it would be an interesting detail if the band played this song.
(4) If the lighting in the show or the set could incorporate mathematical symbols I think it would give a feeling of confusion which would add another layer to the show.
(5)I picture this as the university that Robert attended everyday for class and the same one where Hal was taught by Robert. Everything has an aged feeling to it.
(6)Since the time of the play takes place at the beginning of Fall I would want those same color tones to be represented in the set and the costumes.
(7)I can see this being one of the places that Hal or Catherine would want to visit on the weekend. Everything in Chicago has a look and feel that it has been around for awhile and has been lived in before and that is how the show should feel.
(10)This is an actual Chicago subway which Robert, Catherine, and Hal most likely used everyday. Very worn in and something that is used by other people.
Macro View
(1)Noah, a gaur, is born, the first individual of an endangered species to be cloned.
This shows how scientific advances are being made and how they are important to the world and society just as the mathematical proof is in the play.
(6)Since the time of the play takes place at the beginning of Fall I would want those same color tones to be represented in the set and the costumes.
(7)I can see this being one of the places that Hal or Catherine would want to visit on the weekend. Everything in Chicago has a look and feel that it has been around for awhile and has been lived in before and that is how the show should feel.
(8)In addition with Fall, I want the enviroment to feel dead as well, since Robert has very recenetly passed.
(9) This is exactly the type of house that I see Robert and Catherine living in and this is the exact type of housing in the suburbs of Chicago. I also thought it was interesting that there is a for sale sign on the lawn.
(10)This is an actual Chicago subway which Robert, Catherine, and Hal most likely used everyday. Very worn in and something that is used by other people.
Macro View
(1)Noah, a gaur, is born, the first individual of an endangered species to be cloned.
This shows how scientific advances are being made and how they are important to the world and society just as the mathematical proof is in the play.
(2)George W. Bush succeeds Bill Clinton, becoming the 43rd President of the United States.
The president of a certain era always lends helpful information to the world of the play.
(3)Microsoft released Office XP to manufacturing.
Advances are also being made in dititigal technology, just as science and math.
(3)Microsoft released Office XP to manufacturing.
Advances are also being made in dititigal technology, just as science and math.
(4)The Bush Tax Cuts are signed into law by U.S. president George W. Bush.
Gives a good insight to the kind of economy of the world of the play in 2001
Gives a good insight to the kind of economy of the world of the play in 2001
(5)The world's first self-contained artificial heart is implanted in Robert Tools.
While the previous listed scientific advancement faild (Noah the guar) failed, the artifical heart was a successful advancement in technology.
While the previous listed scientific advancement faild (Noah the guar) failed, the artifical heart was a successful advancement in technology.
(6)U.S. President George W. Bush announces his limited support for federal funding of research on embryonic stem cells.
In this time for the world of the play some experimental advances are also being prohibited, so if the proof was figured out it could have people against it.
(7)Almost 3,000 are killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Fight 175crash into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashes into a grassland in Shanksville.
(7)Almost 3,000 are killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Fight 175crash into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashes into a grassland in Shanksville.
This was a huge event in 2001 and while I have set the play in September, I thought it was an important piece of this year to mention for the world of the play.
(8)War in Afghanistan(2001-present) The United States invades Afghanistan, with participation from other nations.
Since so much of the nation's focus was directed toward the war, that could mean that there is less attention given to important advances(mathematical) then there would be if there was not a war going on.
(8)War in Afghanistan(2001-present) The United States invades Afghanistan, with participation from other nations.
Since so much of the nation's focus was directed toward the war, that could mean that there is less attention given to important advances(mathematical) then there would be if there was not a war going on.
(9)U.S. President George W. Bush signs the USA Patriot Act into law.
This is an example of the kinds of laws put into action due to the 9/11 attacks and this would be the kind of enviroment that the world would be heading in when trying to publish the proof.
This is an example of the kinds of laws put into action due to the 9/11 attacks and this would be the kind of enviroment that the world would be heading in when trying to publish the proof.
(10)Enron files for Chapter 11 Bankrupcty protection 5 days after Dynegy cancels a US$8.4 billion buyout bid (to that point, the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history).
The beginning of the huge economy crisis to come and would effect the kind of funding that they would have to be able to publish the proof, so it may or may not be successful.
http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001 (source for all 10)
Micro View
(1)Heat related deaths --1996-2001
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5226a2.htm
Could prove to be dangerous since Robert was already elderly and the entire show is set on the porch showing that these charcters spent much of their time outdoors.
The beginning of the huge economy crisis to come and would effect the kind of funding that they would have to be able to publish the proof, so it may or may not be successful.
http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001 (source for all 10)
Micro View
(1)Heat related deaths --1996-2001
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5226a2.htm
Could prove to be dangerous since Robert was already elderly and the entire show is set on the porch showing that these charcters spent much of their time outdoors.
(2)Chicago 2001 Campaign
http://www.atme.org/pubs/archives/77_254_1114.CFM
A campaign designed to strengthen the Chicago community to all of the great attributes of the city such as the universities.
http://www.atme.org/pubs/archives/77_254_1114.CFM
A campaign designed to strengthen the Chicago community to all of the great attributes of the city such as the universities.
(3)Crime Trends delineate
http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/cii/cii01/cii01SectionI_CrimeTrends.pdf
http://www.isp.state.il.us/docs/cii/cii01/cii01SectionI_CrimeTrends.pdf
Shows that Chicago is becoming a safer city to live in which Catherine could use as a reason to stay there instead of going to New York with Claire.
(4)Leading Causes of Death in Illinois
http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/bdmd/leadingdeaths01.htm
Heart diease is the leading factor for death in Chicago which could have been a cause for Robert's death.
(4)Leading Causes of Death in Illinois
http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/bdmd/leadingdeaths01.htm
Heart diease is the leading factor for death in Chicago which could have been a cause for Robert's death.
(5)Tuition Fees for Northwestern
http://graduate-school.phds.org/university/northwestern/program/profile/economics/7186
http://graduate-school.phds.org/university/northwestern/program/profile/economics/7186
The price that Catherine would have to pay to go back to school since she lost her scholarship to stay at home with her father.
(6)Fall Out Boy Band
This is the same kind of punk music that Hal's Band plays and could have been an influence. The "grunge" music came out of cities like Seattle and Chicago in the early 90's and influenced different types of styles up to the 2000's.
Statement
I found this particular project quite difficult at first. I discovered that my searches were way too broad for what we were looking for to help put the pieces of the environment together. Once I realized what I most unsure about, with the certain time period or area it became much easier to delve into the information. Proof has very specific categories in it, mathematics, mental health, schooling, and even bands. By diving into those areas the information became exactly what I needed to put the world of David Auburn’s proof to life, according the USA in the year of 2001 and in Chicago, Illinois 2001.
Given that the play is set in 2001 there was plenty of information to find about the 9/11 attacks. While I set the play on September 1, 2001 I found that researching the events after September 11th were just as equally important. It gives some insight to what the world after the show will be like as well. A play doesn’t just simply begin and end; it came from some where and continues long after the audience leaves. I think it would also be helpful for the actors to know the information concerning 9/11 in the year 2001. After sifting through all of that information I discovered that there were actually many scientific and biological advances that went right along with the play. While the events of “Proof” concern mathematical advancements they are in the same field as science and biology. I found it very intriguing that right at the turn of the century, while we didn’t have flying cars but we were able to clone and gaur and give a man an artificial heart. Since we never find out exactly what the proof is or how exactly it will affect society we can presume that it would be as equally important as cloning. I think that even though it doesn’t necessarily say in the script that it was set in 2001 but was that was the date of the copyright, it makes perfect sense, since all of these same types of advancements were taking place as well.
When I began the micro section of this project I hit a standstill. So I began to search the aspects that relate directly to Chicago. I discovered there was a wave of heat related deaths in Chicago. I found that this was very interesting because Chicago being far north in the United States it would be unlikely for people to suffer death from the heat up there. Since Robert, Catherine and Claire’s father, recently passed when the play began and there is no cause of death it could very well be safe to assume that it may have dealt with the heat since summer is just ending. Another major cause of death in the state of Illinois was heart related disease. This also could have possibly been the cause of death that Robert suffered.
I began to capture the actual feel of the show when I researched the pictures and sound that I would want the show to look and feel like. Since I am more of a visual learner I think this is why I responded so well to the pictures of Chicago rather than to just the information. After looking at the pictures of the Chicago suburbs I realized the kind of life that Catherine was really stuck in taking care of her father but also the reason why she couldn’t leave it. The city feels like a home. It feels and looks like where families and people have been living for generations and it’s where new people will come to find their home as well. I think the sound came from the actual voice of the script and what it would sound like if it was spoken with music. Music and sound are always one of my favorite parts of dissecting and reconstructing a script.
All in all while this project was difficult it really helped to bring the show to life and put it in a real world. It helps to have the big picture as well as the small picture. While the pictures and sound are more subjective that just simple facts it is also an important factor in bringing a script to life.
Given that the play is set in 2001 there was plenty of information to find about the 9/11 attacks. While I set the play on September 1, 2001 I found that researching the events after September 11th were just as equally important. It gives some insight to what the world after the show will be like as well. A play doesn’t just simply begin and end; it came from some where and continues long after the audience leaves. I think it would also be helpful for the actors to know the information concerning 9/11 in the year 2001. After sifting through all of that information I discovered that there were actually many scientific and biological advances that went right along with the play. While the events of “Proof” concern mathematical advancements they are in the same field as science and biology. I found it very intriguing that right at the turn of the century, while we didn’t have flying cars but we were able to clone and gaur and give a man an artificial heart. Since we never find out exactly what the proof is or how exactly it will affect society we can presume that it would be as equally important as cloning. I think that even though it doesn’t necessarily say in the script that it was set in 2001 but was that was the date of the copyright, it makes perfect sense, since all of these same types of advancements were taking place as well.
When I began the micro section of this project I hit a standstill. So I began to search the aspects that relate directly to Chicago. I discovered there was a wave of heat related deaths in Chicago. I found that this was very interesting because Chicago being far north in the United States it would be unlikely for people to suffer death from the heat up there. Since Robert, Catherine and Claire’s father, recently passed when the play began and there is no cause of death it could very well be safe to assume that it may have dealt with the heat since summer is just ending. Another major cause of death in the state of Illinois was heart related disease. This also could have possibly been the cause of death that Robert suffered.
I began to capture the actual feel of the show when I researched the pictures and sound that I would want the show to look and feel like. Since I am more of a visual learner I think this is why I responded so well to the pictures of Chicago rather than to just the information. After looking at the pictures of the Chicago suburbs I realized the kind of life that Catherine was really stuck in taking care of her father but also the reason why she couldn’t leave it. The city feels like a home. It feels and looks like where families and people have been living for generations and it’s where new people will come to find their home as well. I think the sound came from the actual voice of the script and what it would sound like if it was spoken with music. Music and sound are always one of my favorite parts of dissecting and reconstructing a script.
All in all while this project was difficult it really helped to bring the show to life and put it in a real world. It helps to have the big picture as well as the small picture. While the pictures and sound are more subjective that just simple facts it is also an important factor in bringing a script to life.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
THE FACTS OF THE PLAY
Basic Facts
Proof by David Auburn
Basics
Full length play with 2 Acts
Act 1, Scene 1, 2, 3, & 4
Act 2, Scene 1,2,3,4, & 5
2M, 2F
Approximate Running Time
2 hrs.
Genre
Drama
Modern American Drama
Bio
David Auburn (born 1970) is an American playwright. He was born in Chicago, and raised in Ohio and Arkansas. He attended the University of Chicago, where he was a member of Off Off Campus, and received a degree in English literature. Following a fellowship with Amblin Entertainment, he moved to New York City and spent two years in The Juilliard School's playwriting program, studying under the noted dramatists Marsha Norman and Christopher Durang. His first full-length play,Skyscraper, ran off-Broadway in 1997. His short play, What Do You Believe About The Future? appeared in Harper's Magazine and has since been adapted for the screen.
Auburn is best known for his 2000 play Proof. It won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play, as well as the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Auburn has adapted it into a film, which was released in 2005. He has also been awarded the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Following Proof, he wrote the screenplay for the movie The Lake House, released by Warner Bros. in 2006. In 2007, he made his directorial debut with the The Girl in The Park, for which he also wrote the screenplay.
He currently resides in Manhattan, New York.
Auburn is best known for his 2000 play Proof. It won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play, as well as the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Auburn has adapted it into a film, which was released in 2005. He has also been awarded the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Following Proof, he wrote the screenplay for the movie The Lake House, released by Warner Bros. in 2006. In 2007, he made his directorial debut with the The Girl in The Park, for which he also wrote the screenplay.
He currently resides in Manhattan, New York.
Publication Info.
Dramatists Play Service
Licensing and Rights
Dramatists Play Service
Characters
Robert - a male in his fifties, father to Catherine and Claire. Has recently died but appears in
flashback scenes and also appears to Catherine.
Catherine - a woman, twenty five, daughter to Robert and sister to Claire. Lives alone in her
father's house. Intelligent but is very removed since her father's passing.
Hal - a male, twenty eight, an eager former student of Robert's. In search of undiscovered works
left behind by Robert. Love interest to Catherine.
Claire - a woman, twenty nine, the well put together daught of Robert and elder sister to
Catherine.
Fable
On Catherine's 25th birthday her father Robert appears to her and they have a discussion about being crazy. Catherine trys to work out in her head that she is not crazy even thought she is having this discussion with her dead father.
Hal comes to her house to go through some of her father's old notebooks and trys to steal one from the house. There is an obvious attraction between the two characters. This is also when we discover that the notebook is very important and could possibly contain a very important proof.
Claire, Catherine's sister, arrives for the funeral of their father. Night and day she tries to persuade Catherine to go to New York with her, because she feels that Catherine should return to school and get her life back on track. They discuss Harold Dobbs, and Claire hassles Catherine about whether he is cute or not and if she is interested in him.
Next is the party that takes place after the funeral and Hal's band plays. Claire gets drunk and Hal and Catherine have sex.
Claire is about to leave for New York and Hal and Catherine find out that one of her father's notebooks contains a mathematical genius proof. Hal wants to try and figure it out and Catherine tell him that she wrote it.
The opening of Act 2 is a flashback scene to when Robert was alive and still teaching at the University of Chicago. Catherine is telling him about her getting into North Western and how she will have to leave. Hal enters and this is where him and Catherine meet for the first time, this is also Catherine's birthday. Robert, Catherine and Hal have drinks and decide to go out for dinner.
The next scene is a continuation of the the ending of Act 1. Hal doubts that Catherine actually wrote the proof and says that it is impossible and that it looks like her father's handwriting. Catherine becomes angry that no one believes her and storms off throwing the notebook on the floor.
Hal comes back to the house to try and speak to Catherine and Claire tells him that she will be taking Catherine back to New York with her and Claire gives Hal the notebook. She also tells him that Catherine got much more of her father's ability than she did.
Another flashback scene to when Robert is very ill, sitting outside in the cold writing nonsense in his notebooks and Catherine trys to coax him back inside. We discover that what her father was writing was truly just nonsense.
The final scene of the show Hal comes back and tells Catherine that he has the proof looked at and said that it was very "hip" and he starts to believe that is was possible for her to write it. Claire leaves for New York and Catherine stays with Hal, and the final moment of the show is her beginning to explain the proof to Hal.
Plot Summary
Proof is the story of a young woman named Catherine. She is the daughter of Robert, a brilliant mathematician, who misplaces both his brilliance and his sanity in his later years. Catherine, a budding mathematician herself, must give up her schooling and her most creatively productive years in order to take care of her father, who has become convinced that alien civilizations are communicating with him directly through the local library's Dewey decimal system.
As the play opens, Robert has just died and Catherine, conversing with his ghost, wonders if she may have inherited his tendency toward madness. Robert had first shown signs of madness in his mid-twenties. Catherine has just turned twenty-five. Her suspicions seem confirmed when her sister Claire and Robert's protégé, Hal, begin to treat her as if she is mentally unstable. Claire, returning for her father's funeral, wants to take her "fragile" sister Catherine back to New York where Claire can keep Catherine safely under her wing and submit her for psychiatric treatment. Hal, who becomes Catherine's lover on the night of the funeral, defends Catherine to Claire, but retains suspicions of his own about Catherine's stability when she claims to be the author of a proof so advanced it overshadows all of Robert's previous work.
Catherine drops her bombshell at the end of Act 1, claiming that she is the author of the proof. Act 2 opens with a flashback to Catherine and Hal's first meeting. They had met on her twenty-first birthday. Hal was handing in his senior thesis while Catherine was still hoping to begin undergraduate school, but only if her father's remission into lucidity continued. The audience is thus introduced to the depth of the sacrifice Catherine has made to tend her father. Not only did she give up school and career, but, revealingly, on her twenty-first birthday she has no friends with whom to celebrate. She and her father invite Hal to her birthday dinner, but he declines.
Four years later, Hal invites Catherine out on a date, but she is suspicious of his motives. Hal is now a teacher in his own right, while Catherine has yet to be able to return to school. To make matters worse for Catherine, conventional wisdom states that mathematicians are already past their prime at twenty-five. If Catherine has not done her best work by now, she will never have the chance again. The existence of the brilliant proof is Catherine's only saving grace. It represents her one chance at success on her father's level.
When Hal and Claire doubt her authorship and conspire to take the proof away, Catherine sinks further into depression. Claire views her outlandish claim and symptoms of depression as evidence of severe psychosis similar to their father's and intends to drag Catherine to New York with her whether her sister likes it or not. Meanwhile, Hal and his colleagues have examined the proof and Hal returns in the nick of time to tell Catherine that he now believes the proof to be her work. As the play draws to a close, Hal begins to treat Catherine with the respect she deserves as a mathematician. Catherine's bitterness makes her initially resistant to Hal's overtures, but ultimately she cannot resist the prospect of discussing her work as an equal with a colleague whose respect she has earned.
http://http//litsum.com/proof/
As the play opens, Robert has just died and Catherine, conversing with his ghost, wonders if she may have inherited his tendency toward madness. Robert had first shown signs of madness in his mid-twenties. Catherine has just turned twenty-five. Her suspicions seem confirmed when her sister Claire and Robert's protégé, Hal, begin to treat her as if she is mentally unstable. Claire, returning for her father's funeral, wants to take her "fragile" sister Catherine back to New York where Claire can keep Catherine safely under her wing and submit her for psychiatric treatment. Hal, who becomes Catherine's lover on the night of the funeral, defends Catherine to Claire, but retains suspicions of his own about Catherine's stability when she claims to be the author of a proof so advanced it overshadows all of Robert's previous work.
Catherine drops her bombshell at the end of Act 1, claiming that she is the author of the proof. Act 2 opens with a flashback to Catherine and Hal's first meeting. They had met on her twenty-first birthday. Hal was handing in his senior thesis while Catherine was still hoping to begin undergraduate school, but only if her father's remission into lucidity continued. The audience is thus introduced to the depth of the sacrifice Catherine has made to tend her father. Not only did she give up school and career, but, revealingly, on her twenty-first birthday she has no friends with whom to celebrate. She and her father invite Hal to her birthday dinner, but he declines.
Four years later, Hal invites Catherine out on a date, but she is suspicious of his motives. Hal is now a teacher in his own right, while Catherine has yet to be able to return to school. To make matters worse for Catherine, conventional wisdom states that mathematicians are already past their prime at twenty-five. If Catherine has not done her best work by now, she will never have the chance again. The existence of the brilliant proof is Catherine's only saving grace. It represents her one chance at success on her father's level.
When Hal and Claire doubt her authorship and conspire to take the proof away, Catherine sinks further into depression. Claire views her outlandish claim and symptoms of depression as evidence of severe psychosis similar to their father's and intends to drag Catherine to New York with her whether her sister likes it or not. Meanwhile, Hal and his colleagues have examined the proof and Hal returns in the nick of time to tell Catherine that he now believes the proof to be her work. As the play draws to a close, Hal begins to treat Catherine with the respect she deserves as a mathematician. Catherine's bitterness makes her initially resistant to Hal's overtures, but ultimately she cannot resist the prospect of discussing her work as an equal with a colleague whose respect she has earned.
http://http//litsum.com/proof/
Exegesis
Prime number - any integer other than 0 or ± 1 that is not divisible without remainder by any other integers except ± 1 and ± the integer itself
Proof - In mathematics, a proof is a convincing demonstration (within the accepted standards of the field) that some mathematical statement is necessarily true. Proofs are obtained from deductive reasoning, rather than from inductive or empirical arguments. That is, a proof must demonstrate that a statement is true in all cases, without a single exception. An unproved proposition that is believed to be true is known as a conjecture.
Imaginary Number - An imaginary number, in mathematics, is a number in the form bi where b is a real number and i is the square root of minus one, known as the imaginary unit. Imaginary numbers and real numbers may be combined as complex numbers in the form a + bi where a is the real part and bi is the imaginary part. Imaginary numbers can therefore be thought of as complex numbers where the real part is zero. The square of an imaginary number is a negative real numbers.Imaginary numbers were defined in 1572 by Rafael Bombelli. At the time, such numbers were regarded by some as fictitious or useless, much as zero and the negative numbers. Many other mathematicians were slow to adopt the use of imaginary numbers, including Descartes who wrote about them in his La Geometrie, where the term was meant to be derogatory.
A Note on Casting
The most important areas I would focus on when casting “Proof” would be age and gender. It is vital to the story that all that are male parts and all that are female parts be cast accordingly. Since it deals with a father and daughter relationship and also the blossoming relationship between and young woman and a young man, it would simply not enhance the story to change this.
I find the accuracy of age to be very important to the play and its story. The actor cast in Robert’s role could simply not be and younger than forty years of age. With what he goes through in the show, loosing his sanity, already having two adult daughters and being a mathematical genius who is working as a professor at the University of Chicago could not possibly be any younger than that. I also don’t think that an individual younger than that would have gone through the experiences in life that would allow us to believe his age on stage. It is also important that Catherine, Claire and Hal be played age accordingly as well. Anyone in their twenties could pull off any of the three roles with believability.
I don’t think that race should play an enormous part in the casting. While there is a distinct family unit in the show, Robert and his two daughters, Catherine and Claire, I don’t see a problem with them being different ethnicities. If it was cast colorblind it would not in any way affect the storyline if Robert was a black man and Catherine and Claire were Hispanic. I think that it should be the actor that fits the listed requirements above and is most talented and deserving of the part, if the director so chooses to keep race together in the show, that is his or her choice.
The sexual orientation of any of the actors is completely irrelevant and as long as they are able to play a believable straight character, I see no issue. I say this because there are no homosexuals in the show.
Disabilities is an interesting topic for this show though, I believe that the actor playing Robert could be wheelchair bound and that would not in anyway hinder his performance at all. I’m not quite sure that they would be able to perform any of the other parts, given that the show requires some up and down movement of them. If the director so chooses I don’t see a problem being deaf but blind would not work, since Catherine does write the proof by hand. This area in my opinion really sits on the director’s shoulders; it is all about what their vision is. I don’t see how any disabilities would affect the story and author’s intent.
I think the show would be most successful in performances and story telling as long as the characters were cast age and gender accordingly. I think if either of these two areas are tampered with it would greatly distract from the author’s intent and would distract the audience members and they would be taken out of the experience all together. This is a piece that would be very successful with colorblind casting and I believe that should be taken advantage of.
I find the accuracy of age to be very important to the play and its story. The actor cast in Robert’s role could simply not be and younger than forty years of age. With what he goes through in the show, loosing his sanity, already having two adult daughters and being a mathematical genius who is working as a professor at the University of Chicago could not possibly be any younger than that. I also don’t think that an individual younger than that would have gone through the experiences in life that would allow us to believe his age on stage. It is also important that Catherine, Claire and Hal be played age accordingly as well. Anyone in their twenties could pull off any of the three roles with believability.
I don’t think that race should play an enormous part in the casting. While there is a distinct family unit in the show, Robert and his two daughters, Catherine and Claire, I don’t see a problem with them being different ethnicities. If it was cast colorblind it would not in any way affect the storyline if Robert was a black man and Catherine and Claire were Hispanic. I think that it should be the actor that fits the listed requirements above and is most talented and deserving of the part, if the director so chooses to keep race together in the show, that is his or her choice.
The sexual orientation of any of the actors is completely irrelevant and as long as they are able to play a believable straight character, I see no issue. I say this because there are no homosexuals in the show.
Disabilities is an interesting topic for this show though, I believe that the actor playing Robert could be wheelchair bound and that would not in anyway hinder his performance at all. I’m not quite sure that they would be able to perform any of the other parts, given that the show requires some up and down movement of them. If the director so chooses I don’t see a problem being deaf but blind would not work, since Catherine does write the proof by hand. This area in my opinion really sits on the director’s shoulders; it is all about what their vision is. I don’t see how any disabilities would affect the story and author’s intent.
I think the show would be most successful in performances and story telling as long as the characters were cast age and gender accordingly. I think if either of these two areas are tampered with it would greatly distract from the author’s intent and would distract the audience members and they would be taken out of the experience all together. This is a piece that would be very successful with colorblind casting and I believe that should be taken advantage of.
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