By Jason and Alisha Hagey
Staged at MadKing’s Fellowship Theater in the Gateway Mall, Proof unearths the raw humanity in us all – our flaws, fragility, and quiet resilience. The actors’ sincere performances in this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterwork highlight the profoundly human doubts. The audience is transformed from spectators into close participants in a story of love, loss, and light.
Catherine has spent years in her father’s long shadow – a genius mathematician unraveling at the seams. Now that he’s gone, she faces an equation with no easy solution: the cold pragmatism of her estranged sister, Claire; the eager, almost opportunistic curiosity of Hal, her father’s former student; and the 103 notebooks filled with brilliance, madness, or both. As a romance flickers and a mysterious notebook surfaces, Catherine is left grappling with the actual proof – of her mind, her father’s legacy, and whether genius and madness are merely two sides of the same theorem. The play is a remarkable accomplishment of ideas and feelings.
What makes David Auburn’s (Playwright) Proof extraordinary is its ability to fuse the cerebral and the emotional without losing its humanity. In both life and mathematics, the play alternates between confidence and uncertainty. Auburn questions whether we can demonstrate the most essential things, such as love, trust, and self-worth. The dialogue is sharp, naturalistic, and layered with subtext. Auburn’s words shift seamlessly between biting humor, raw vulnerability, and the grave silence of unresolved grief. Every conversation feels like a chess match. Auburn never wastes a word; even casual banter hums with profound tension. In Auburn’s hands, Proof adds up to something undeniable.
Grappling with Auburn’s words, Kristina Stone (Director) creates an intimate, personal experience. With the help of Sara Goldberg-McRae (Assistant Director), Stone’s vision accentuates the sense of depression and mental illness with sensitivity, helping the performances move beyond stereotypes to become palpably real and infinitely human. Stone is a storyteller who loves her craft and those she works with to tell the story. Together, they have created a remarkable, loving atmosphere where grief and fear emanate from the characters. Yet, they tenuously stand on the precipice of desperately trying to be simple, good human beings.
Tonight we were favored with the Katherine Johnson Cast. The lion’s share of the show’s heaviness lands squarely on the shoulders of Annabelle Durham (Catherine), who braves their role earnestly through a continuous search for sanity amongst grief and great personal pain. She bears up well, creating different relationships with each character and thus giving a similitude of reality to their world. She has the honor of playing opposite her father (in the show and life), Mike Durham (Robert), who is tender and unguarded in his performance. They are a dynamic duo whose relationship off the stage bleeds through to their performance, giving them a rare closeness.
Playing her part with grace and empathy, Bridgette Long (Claire) is an excellent older sister to Catherine, attempting to do everything necessary to bring joy and love to her life. Long can portray an underlying concern and care with her aloof veneer, and she does so well.
Percy Cordero (Hal) made themself so vulnerable. It is a lovely and, at times, touching performance, held with such quiet energy. They are infectious and exciting, making the conflict right before intermission more painful.
Although we didn’t get the opportunity to see them, there is a second cast, the Judith Love Cohen Cast, to help tell the story and find the heart of these words. The cast consists of Emma Johnson (Catherine), Jim Dale (Robert), Stina Spalding (Claire), and Dane Braddy (Hal).
MadKing’s Fellowship Theater is a distinctive and exciting venue. The space is well handled by James Naylor (Set Design), who converts it into a dilapidated Chicago backyard. The creaky floorboards and water-damaged siding help create the worn-down feel of the family’s home, mimicking the turmoil inside each character, making the space feel real and lived-in.
Mac McRae (Light Design) gives a strong sense of time via an exterior house light. We know if we are in the father’s presence or engulfed by memory using this simple yet effective metaphor in the guise of an old sconce. McRae’s lighting mirrors Proof‘s emotional arcs, and the understated yet powerful lighting enhances the mood.
John Gromada (Original Music and Sound Design) provides the audience with a sense of place and, most significantly, a sense of emotion and feeling. Gromada’s work keeps us grounded in the play’s world and helps us connect between scenes with his interstitial music.
Liz Whittaker (Intimacy Director) ensures the actors have a safe space to explore and create. Their work fosters an environment where the actors can be vulnerable, and the audience can share their journey. This trust is evident within the authentic and powerful moments on stage.
MadKing Productions’ presentation of Proof sensitively balances the intellectual and emotional elements of David Auburn’s intricate drama. Passionate performances, careful direction, and design components produce a moving, intimate depiction of the search for connection. Proof leaves the audience thinking about the indisputable human desire for love and understanding.
**This production includes adult language and themes of mental illness.**
MadKing Productions presents Proof, A Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by David Auburn
MadKing’s Fellowship Theater, at the Gateway Mall
167 S. Rio Grande St.
Located at the Gateway Mall: upper floor near the Megaplex Theaters, between Tucanos and The Bruce.
Feb. 28 to March 16.
Our two ensembles are named after prolific women in STEM! The performance schedule for each cast is as follows:
Katherine Johnson Cast:
Friday Feb 28: 7:30pm
Saturday March 1: 7:30pm
Sunday March 2: 7:30pm
Saturday March 8: 3:00pm
Sunday March 9: 3:00pm
Friday March 14: 7:30pm
Saturday March 15: 7:30pm
Judith Love Cohen Cast:
Saturday March 1: 3:00pm
Sunday March 2: 3:00pm
Saturday March 8: 7:30pm
Sunday March 9: 7:30pm
Friday March 14: 3:00pm
Saturday March 15: 3:00pm
Tickets are $20
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Parking is available at the Gateway Mall. The closest parking garages are the Gateway Summer Garage (200 s entrance), and the South Garage (400 w entrance). Free parking on Sundays.
Wheelchair accessible. Public elevators and accessible parking are available at the Gateway
Cast 1: Katherine Johnson Cast
Annabelle Durham (Catherine)
Mike Durham (Robert)
Bridgette Long (Claire)
Percy Cordero (Hal)
Cast 2: Judith Love Cohen Cast
Emma Johnson (Catherine)
Jim Dale (Robert)
Stina Spalding (Claire)
Dane Braddy (Hal)
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