Catherine is taking care of her ailing father, a famous mathematician at the University of Chicago. He is losing his mind, but he is fighting it and trying to continue to work on his math. In a pivotal scene, her father is sitting outside wearing a t-shirt in 30 degree December weather. He says he is really on to something now that will keep him busy for years. He refuses to go inside until Cathy reads it.  “Let X equal the quantity of all quantities of X. Let X equal the cold. It is cold in December. The months of cold equal November through February.” It’s heart-breakingly clear that the glimmer of hope that he was again lucid is gone. Cathy worries that she will also go crazy while at the same time hoping she did inherit her father’s mathematical mind.

In the intimate space at Theatre Wit, the drama plays out intensely along with some funny moments. This production does a great job showing why this play was the winner of the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2001. It was also turned into a film starring Gwyenth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Dana Muelchi is great as Catherine, who struggles figuring out what to do with her life. Callahan Romen Crnich is excellent as Hal, who is perfectly awkward and likeable as the father’s protégé. Geoff Isaac‘s performance is superb as the father who exemplifies the symptoms of dementia. Taila Langman is solid as Catherine’s sister, who is doing her best to help out.

Get tickets now for Proof through April 6^th.  

Quinn Delaney