Proof at The Booth Theatre NYC Review
Written by Eloise for Theatre and Tonic
Content warnings: discussion of mental health, grief, strong language.
A heartwarming and surprisingly funny version of David Auburn’s American Classic Proof at The Booth Theatre in NYC. Proof follows 25-year-old Catherine after the death of her maths genius father, Robert. The cast consists of four actors - Robert, his two daughters, Catherine and Claire, and Hal - an ex-student of Robert.
The play is set in the back garden of the family home in Chicago and interweaves flashback scenes from Robert's life with present-day action after his death. The set, designed by Teresa l. Williams was fantastic, with a beautifully realistic backyard setup. The transitions, long enough to allow actors to change outfits to show time changes, saw the stage lower in light as long LED’s framed the house - a simple yet mesmeric quality took over the audience. Though, as a British audience member I was surprised to find the theatre would applaud after every scene during the transitions! The applause certainly broke up the scenes and, therefore, the atmosphere, which was a shame; I would have liked to sit through the transitions and stay in the world of the play.
The acting was wonderful from the whole cast. Ayo Edebiri stands out as Catherine - playing the awkwardly likeable young woman as well as the manic, troubled mathematician, layering the character beautifully. Don Cheadle was top billed for this production, though he was on stage the least of the four characters. The role was brilliant for him, and despite his stardom, there was a lovely warmth and groundedness to his performance. Kara Young as Claire played the perfect older sister - uptight and professional but also deeply funny, using wild moments of physicality to emphasise some of the humorous moments in the script. Played against Edebiri made for a wonderfully contrasting double act, often found in siblings. Jin Ha as Hal was also layered, making the problematic moments oddly sweet and understandable. The whole cast had an electric chemistry which was a pleasure to watch - each supporting each other and allowing a real sense of play on stage. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a cast that genuinely seems to support each other in every moment.
There were occasional moments where the pace lulled - though perhaps this wasn’t aided by the set remaining the same throughout. There is a sense of the inescapable yet comforting quality of the back yard which mirrors Catherine’s emotions. There were certainly moments where it felt like the set needed to rotate to reveal the inside of the house, the set teasing the audience with seeing flashes of a table, or desk lamp through the windows. Perhaps something visually needed to adapt throughout the piece to keep the audience engaged in that way too.
Seeing a play on Broadway is not cheap and you want to make sure you’re making a smart choice when booking your ticket. You will not be disappointed with Proof - it has something for everyone, humour, drama, romance - and is a spectacularly constructed play, a worthy winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2001. The cast are perfect in their roles and give their whole selves to these performances - you can’t really ask for anything more!
It is also worth mentioning that this version of Proof is the first in twenty-three years – only being professionally produced in New York, London and Australia between 2000 and 2003. This cast is the first which centres a POC family in the story – and it seems like a very culturally exciting move. Speaking to people in the theatre and in NYC, they are thrilled to see this story featuring BIPOC actors and reframing the story in that way.
Proof is playing at the Booth Theatre in NYC from March 31st to 19th July 2026.
★★★★
