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Staged Reading - Proof

By David Auburn

A Staged Reading

Directed by Donna Davis

Tuesday - January 31, 2012 at  8 p.m.

 

ONE NIGHT ONLY - $5 - $10 sliding scale (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

 

2001 Tony Award winner for best play, PROOF concerns Catherine, the daughter of Robert, a recently deceased mathematical genius in his fifties and professor at the University of Chicago, and her struggles with mathematical genius and mental illness.

Catherine had cared for her father through a lengthy mental illness - now as she and Hal, one of his former students sort through his papers (which appear to contain a groundbreaking solution to a long-sought mathematical dilemma), she must sort out not only her feelings for her father but also the budding of a relationship with Hal. Throughout, the play explores Catherine's fear of following in her father's footsteps, both mathematically and mentally and her desperate attempts to stay in control.


Catherine – Rachel Ferensowicz

Robert- Bruce Kaplan

Hal – Alfred Webre

Claire – Kathleen Davis

 

Proof is a play by David Auburn originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club on 23 May 2000. It then went to Broadway on 24 October 2000 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, and was directed by Daniel J. Sullivan, with Mary-Louise Parker as Catherine, Larry Bryggman as Robert, Ben Shenkman as Hal, and Johanna Day as Claire. The entire original Broadway cast received Tony nominations for their performances, with Parker winning. Later during the Broadway run, Jennifer Jason Leigh (September 13, 2001 to June 30, 2002) and Anne Heche took over the lead role. Josh Hamilton and Neil Patrick Harris subsequently played the role of Hal.

The play won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Gwyneth Paltrow played Catherine in the 2005 film Proof, which was directed by John Madden. Along with Paltrow, it starred Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and Jake Gyllenhaal. The film version added more characters (in minor supporting roles), whereas the play has only four.

Donna Davis (Director) Donna has a long history of directing in the East Bay, including numerous productions at Actors Ensemble of Berkeley.  She has directed comedies, tragedies, melodramas, musicals, radio plays, premieres, classics – you name it.  She recently made her return to AE with a well-received production of Doubt in the Fall of 2011.

Rachel Ferensowicz (Catherine) has recently made her debut at Actors Ensemble of Berkeley with her performance as Chloe Coverly in our concurrent production of Arcadia.  She received BA’s in Theatre and English, and is a member of PianoFight productions, where she acts, directs, and produces.  She drinks her coffee black.

Bruce Kaplan (Robert) is excited to be back at AEB and working with Donna Davis again. Bruce most recently appeared as the Ghost of Marley in Christmas Carol: the Musical, and as Candy in Of Mice and Men, Artie in House of Blue Leaves, and Saunders in Lend Me a Tenor. Thanks for supporting community theatre!

Alfred Webre (Hal)

Kathleen Davis (Claire) Kathleen Davis is happy to be at Live Oak Theater again. Her first role here was Susanna Shakespeare in A Cry of Players; her second-to-last role here was Babe in Crimes of the Heart. This past winter she played Sister James in AE’s production of Doubt.  She has studied with Donna Davis in The Drama Workshop, Richard Seyd, Peter Egan, and others.


Presented as a STAGED READING, one night only, Jan. 31st at 8 p.m. $5-$10 sliding scale (no one will be turned away for lack of funds) at Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave (at Berryman) in Berkeley. Cash or check only. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

With: Kathleen Davis, Rachel Ferensowicz, Bruce Kaplan, and Alfred Webre

Tags: Staged Readings

Thank You

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley is delighted to acknowledge the Berkeley Civic Arts Program and Civic Arts Commission's support in the form of a grant of $8,000.00 awarded in 2017. Also, a thank you to Theatre Bay Area for a grant of $2,500.00.

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Actors Ensemble of Berkeley - P.O. Box 663 - Berkeley - California - 94701 ¦ Our Answering Service: (510) 649-5999 ¦

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