Production of David Auburn’s Pulitzer winner showcases strong cast and direction
The Springs Ensemble Theatre (SET) has mounted a smart and entertaining new production of Proof, David Auburn’s 2001 Pulitzer Prize-winning play about math geniuses. The story follows Catherine, a young woman coming to terms with her recently deceased father’s mathematical gifts and mental instability. It’s generally billed as a drama in SET’s sprightly production directed by Tim Muldrew, it has as much humor as drama.
Catherine, (Ellie Hinkle) relives her relationship with her father, Robert, (Robert Sherrane) and worries that she has inherited both his genius and his mental challenges.
Catherine also deals with Hal, a former student of Robert’s and her older sister Claire. Hal (Dana Kjeldsen) wants to bolster Robert’s professional reputation and, if given a chance, get next to Catherine.
But Claire (Nicki Sitler) wants to close the book on Robert’s life and suspects Catherine’s mental state may eventually require institutionalization.
Ellie Hinkle as Catherine and Nicki Sitler as Claire in ‘Proof’
Time shift
The play moves back and forth in time between the plans for Robert’s funeral to Catherine’s care for him as his mental state deteriorated. The time shifts are perhaps the play’s most effective device. We see Catherine’s high-strung, unpredictable reactions and then we see the past that fuels her behavior.
The flashbacks show the sacrifices Catherine has made, what these have cost her and what she has, paradoxically, gained. She has lived more life than her resume or formal educational credentialing show. But can she prove it?
As Catherine and Robert, Hinkle and Sherrane enjoy excellent chemistry. Their opening scene sets a tone of simpatico between father and daughter. This relationship, upon which the play and Catherine’s life are determined, is realistically established. It’s a solid foundation for the ensuing events.
Sitler nearly steals the show in her first scene as older sister Claire tries to puzzle out Catherine’s erratic behavior: drinking alone, reporting a burglary, changing her mind about whether there was a theft, and otherwise not making much sense.
Claire, the sister who sent money but otherwise sat out her father’s decline, is an absolutely cringe character. She’s fake, she knows it, and she perseveres in her false concern or cliched positivity. It’s funny-awful and Sitler plays it perfectly. A theatre veteran who’s a relative newcomer to the Colorado Springs scene, Sitler clearly has a gift for playing a character you love to hate.
Sherrane gives Robert an avuncular air, but with an edge. Late in the play, the character believes he’s having a “eureka” moment. Sherrane’s face glows as he delivers a soliloquy about the transcendent joy of discovery. It’s a high point of the show.
Simple set
Overall, this a smooth production. The set, a back porch, was simple and suitable to the play’s not very demanding requirements. A shelf of books to the side of the porch was puzzling. The characters occasionally make use of it, but do even geeks keep books outdoors?
Jeremiah Walter contributed an original song to the performance that represents Hal’s musical ambitions. It’s a fun idea, but the production doesn’t really capitalize on it, as it’s heard only briefly.
The Fifty-Niner’s speakeasy decor is a cozy, offbeat space that brings the audience together. The relatively small audience for Friday’s performance was enthusiastic.
The Springs Ensemble Theatre consistently tackles some of the best contemporary theatrical works with professional aplomb. This production is no exception and deserves a wider audience.
