NEW YORK CITY—The importance of being believed, despite probable evidence to the contrary, is one of the central themes in the stellar Broadway revival of David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning drama, “Proof.” Its title carries multiple meanings.
Chicago native, 25-year-old Catherine (Ayo Edebiri) finds herself at a crossroads. A once-vivacious and outgoing woman, she has put her life on hold for the last five years to care for Robert (Don Cheadle), her ailing father. He’s a widely respected University of Chicago mathematician who made significant contributions in the field, but his once brilliant mind has been clouded by mental illness. The strain of being her dad’s round-the-clock caregiver has had a lasting impact on Catherine as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life.
Catherine also must deal with her overprotective older sister Claire (Kara Young). While Claire lives in New York and has not been around all that much, she has been paying every single bill for the family, thus allowing Robert to be able to stay in the home he loved. Robert, being in familiar surroundings, may have also been a factor in his experiencing a sort of reawakening when, during a period of nine months, his mind seemed as sharp as ever, which allowed him to start considering returning to work.
In the wake of Robert’s passing, Hal (Jin Ha), a former student of Robert and now a teacher in his own right, asks Catherine for permission to go through her father’s papers. Catherine initially declines, but as the two develop a connection and she thinks she has met someone she can trust, she agrees. Not only does she give Hal access to her father’s notes, but she also allows him to see something previously kept hidden. A finished mathematical proof for a theorem that up to now had been thought impossible to verify.
Even as Hal excitedly tells Catherine and the recently arrived Claire about this finding, the question becomes just who wrote the proof—Robert or Catherine. As Catherine tries to assert the validity of her claim, she finds herself facing doubt from Hal, who points out she’s had no serious mathematical training, other than a few classes she took before Robert became ill and whatever she learned from her father during their time together.
Claire, meanwhile, may have no interest in math, but worries her sibling is showing the same mental strain that afflicted their dad and has made plans to bring Catherine to New York to keep an eye on her and have her seek medical treatment.
Exploring family dysfunction wrapped in a mathematical mystery, “Proof” tells the story of one woman’s attempts to reclaim her identity.
The Production
In her portrayal of Catherine, Edebiri, making her Broadway debut, turns in an absolutely brilliant performance of someone so beaten down that she just wants to be left alone. Her changes in attitude and physical appearance, as seen during time jumps in the show, illustrate just how much of herself she sacrificed in the name of family.
In the end, the question regarding the authorship of the proof becomes almost secondary to Catherine’s need to break away from her father’s legacy and the future Claire has planned out for her.
Cheadle, also making his Broadway debut, appears in the play mainly in flashback, and imbues Robert with a quiet dignity. His performance, which alters depending on the character’s mental state of the moment, is one of joy mixed with despair as he enjoys good days, when everything once more seems possible, and bad ones, when he realizes the darkness that once settled over his mind may be returning. In better times, he also shows just the right amount of overbearingness when he wants Catherine to follow in his footsteps, as well as the acceptance of a parent who knows everyone has to follow their own path.
Young does well as Claire, who prefers to deal with uncomfortable situations quickly and decisively, despite what anyone else involved may want. Though she clearly cares about her family, she is eager to get back to her own life and can be insistent on how her suggested solutions make the most sense.
Jin Ha is fine as Robert’s former student who gets far more than he bargains when he meets and begins a relationship with Catherine. At times projecting overwhelming enthusiasm and a fair amount of caution, he also embodies the playwright’s message of never to jump to conclusions until all the facts have been examined.
Director Thomas Kail is able to deftly combine the different elements in the story and present a totally compelling tale. The presentation of the play is also nicely paced with no lags in the narrative or any extraneous moments which would take away from what happens on stage.
A powerful piece about a woman learning to find her own voice, and with a wonderful performance at its center, this production of “Proof” is nothing short of excellent.
‘Proof’
Booth Theatre
222 W. 45th St., New York
Tickets: ProofBroadway.com
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission)
Closes: July 19, 2026
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