"MAPLE GIANT THEATRE are now casting the final parts for their forthcoming production:On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father Robert, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions, the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire, and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind.
Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: how much of her father's madness, or genius, will she inherit?We are currently casting the parts of Robert (playing age 50+) and Hal (playing age late-20s):
Robert: A prestigious mathematician and father of two, Robert is the darker side to this exquisite play. The deterioration of his mental health mixed with his unflappable ambition to sustain his incredible level of intelligence, with a flash of genius, Proof sees this intense figure slowly begin to unravel.
Hal: An academic protégé of Robert who has devoted his life to his love of learning. A quiet and reserved character at the beginning, he soon becomes caught up in the mix of passion and frustration that is made clear during this psychological snapshot of mathematical genius.What critics have said about 'Proof':
"…those of us who want their dramatic characters to be real people need not feel excluded. All four – whether loving, hating, encouraging or impeding one another – are intensely alive, complex, funny, human. Out of this curious quartet, Auburn creates emotionally and intellectually enveloping music."—John Simon, New York.
"…but my relief that David Auburn's Proof is less about its ballyhooed higher mathematics than the fragility of life and love was matched by my delight in his fine and tender play…Proof surprises us with its aliveness and intelligent modesty, and we have not met these characters before."
—John Heilpern, The New York Observer.
"What's perhaps most striking about Auburn's writing, though, is his sense of structure, which is at once imaginative and stringently coherent. Veering gracefully from past to present and from reflection to confrontation, the playwright traces the development of his characters and plot with a scientist's preciseness and a poet's lyricism."
—Elysa Gardner, USA Today
Performances:
One week run, Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th October 2008, at the OFS Studio Theatre, George Street, Oxford. Performances will be at 7.30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
The production is directed by Luke Daking and the Producer is Stephen Wiggins.
Jake in Proof (2005), From Stage To Screen: The Making Of Proof. Pictures courtesy of Iheartjakemedia.comWhat critics have said about previous MGT productions:
"Maple Giant Theatre chooses the perfect piece to bring out the full story-telling potential of the Old Fire Station; the black studio is given the air of a downtown Manhattan off-Broadway theatre by the sharp phrasing of this exciting new musical."
—Daily Info
"…a very able cast…brilliant comedy"
—The Cherwell
"It's refreshing to see a musical which is stripped back and sparse, not relying on lavish sets or sequins to grab the attention of the audience. The cast of six do well slipping between different characters and moods."
—Daily Info
"…very strong performances…highly talented performers"
—Daily Info
Source: www.whatsonstage.com
