This Play Is 'Proof' That Every Family Has Issues

Ayo Edebiri in Proof. Photo: Matthew Murphy

In families, the math sometimes doesn’t add up.

Exhibit A is the Broadway revival of Proof, David Auburn’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The emotional dynamic in this piece (directed by Thomas Kail) will resonate with anyone who’s had a personal or professional disagreement with a loved one.

Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri plays Catherine, who cut her education short to take care of her dad, Robert (Don Cheadle), a mathematician with mental illness. Her sister Claire (two-time Tony winner Kara Young) worries that Catherine has inherited some of her father’s problems, while Robert’s former student Hal (Jin Ha) admires Catherine but doubts her intelligence.

All four actors play their passionate scenes well. Edebiri is a wonderful lead in her stage debut, while fellow Broadway neophyte Cheadle also impresses in his brief scenes. Ha and Young are more seasoned stage performers, making the intense moments really count.

First performed in 2000, Proof still feels contemporary. Rather than showing its age, this revival highlights the universality of family drama. Even a math novice like me can relate.

At the Booth Theatre through July 19

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