By Vicki Paris Goodman
The proof was in my willingness–no, my excited anticipation–at the prospect of seeing Proof again only a few years after my first viewing. Generally speaking, I don’t care to see a play twice in one decade. It is easy to make an exception for Proof, however, in my estimation one of the finest plays written in recent years.
So, had my mind enhanced that first experience to the point where this current production had little chance to measure up?
In answering that question, the first inkling was my first glance at David Calhoun’s gorgeous-beyond-words set. The back porch of a century-old brick house in Chicago is aglow with warm porch lamps and buttery interior lighting (by lighting designer Jesse GrothOlson) seen through the Venetian blinds of a lovely bay window. The entry door is period appropriate. An aged wood deck cornered with “cement” -topped brick pillars abuts the rear of the house, which sits aside a wooden gate, real tree branches hovering overhead. The scene is as real as real gets. So far I am very, very happy.
Myself an engineer, I have a special affinity for stories about geniuses. Some small part of my better-than-average but nowhere-near-brilliant mathematical ability identifies with the nerdy exhilaration inherent in working out a long-sought-after proof, especially one that has eluded the world’s foremost minds for centuries.
In Proof, famous mathematician Robert (Richard Brestoff) has died after an extended mental illness. His 25-year-old daughter Catherine (Robyn Cohen) has cared for him for four years at the expense of her college education and social life. Her controlling, all-business and mostly humorless older sister Claire (Melissa Baird) has arrived from New York for the funeral.
In the meantime, Hal (Scott Antonucci), one of Robert’s graduate students, begs Catherine to let him go through her father’s notebooks on the chance that there might exist some finished or unfinished significant work to contribute to the world.
In one of the most striking and unpredictable twists ever, it turns out there is indeed something of great significance. And in one of the most clever dramatic structures in my memory, the twist occurs before intermission. Even so, playwright David Auburn has no trouble holding our attention in the second act.
Director Luke Yankee, who recently performed his own amazing one-man show on this very stage, has gotten everything right, and so has his cast. Auburn’s perfect structure, outstanding characters and compelling dialogue help out a lot. But Proof’s high drama is no easy feat.
There has to be excellent chemistry between Catherine and her father, as well as between Catherine and Hal. There is. Catherine’s dislike for Claire must be palpable. It is. Catherine must be a carefully balanced composite of depressed sarcasm, romantic vulnerability and ultimate resignation. In the hands of Cohen, she is, oh how she is.
Claire could so easily become one-dimensional in her manipulative no-nonsense style. But Baird suggests Claire’s ample complexity with a hint of warmth and even a little measured enthusiasm.
Antonucci makes Hal attractive, sweet, honest and worthy.
Brestoff’s Robert gets better and better until a heartbreaking second act climax results in audible gasps.
In case you still require proof positive, there is no disappointment here. This explosive production of Proof makes the most of every bombshell it drops. This is as good as it gets.
Proof continues at the Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre through Saturday, July 7. General admission tickets are $22; $20 for seniors. Student tickets are $12 with valid student ID and are available for Friday and Saturday performances. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees on June 10, 24 and July 1 at 2 p.m.
Call (562) 494-1014 for reservations and information. Tickets are also available online at www.lbph.com.
