PROOF Opens in June at The Alex Theatre

One of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful plays in recent years PROOF, by American playwright David Auburn, will be presented from June 9-19th at The Alex Theatre in St Kilda, by Melbourne's newest theatre company Artefact, an independent production company committed to producing important and influential theatre. It will be directed by Emily O'Brien-Brown.

PROOF is a remarkable and luminous play about fathers and daughters, genius and insanity, legacy and truth. Everyone has parents and everyone aspires to be like them in some way. But what happens when there's a distinct possibilty that we may inherit their talent...and their madness. Auburn's play is at turns a comedy, a mystery, a family drama and a romance, and audiences have cheered the production around the world for its craft and intelligence.

PROOF is the story of Catherine (Madeleine Jevic), a 25 year-old woman, who has spent her adult life caring for her father Robert (Roy Barker), a brilliant mathematician who had rewritten the mathematical theories in 3 different fields by his mid-20s but who then suffered debilitating mental illness during most of the rest of his life. When Hal (Mark Yeates) a former student of Robert's, makes a startling discovery in one of Robert's notebooks, Catherine must face the sibling rivalry between herself and her sister Claire (Anna Burgess) and her own fears that she might be following in her father's footsteps, both mathematically and mentally and her desperate attempts to stay in control.

Director Emily O'Brien-Brown remarked "PROOF is about the legacy of a once brilliant man who is afflicted with a debilitating mental illness and his daughter's journey to discover how much of his genius and/or madness she has inherited. At the core of it, the show is about family, grief and four people at a turning point in their lives; forcing them to face and accept themselves in order to move on. It is an elegant and engaging story of passion, genius, and family bonds. I am truly excited to be working with such a talented array of actors in this multi award winning play."

PROOF was the most honored play of the 2000-2001 season, receiving:

Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Tony Award - Best Play

Drama Critics Circle Award - Best American Play

Drama Desk Award - Outstanding Play

Outer Critics Circle Award - Outstanding Broadway Play

Drama League Award - Distinguished Production of a Play

Lucille Lortel Award - Outstanding Play

When it closed on Broadway in 2003 after 918 performances, PROOF was the longest running play in nearly 20 years; it is the longest running play in the history of the Walter Kerr Theatre, which has housed six other winners of the Tony Award for Best Play apart from PROOF: Doubt, Take Me Out, Clybourne Park, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Angels in America: Perestroika and Love! Valour! Compassion! A 2005 film adaptation was directed by John Madden, starring Gwyneth Paltrow as Catherine, along with Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

There is PROOF of the delicate nature of genius in this a compelling and tautly beautiful play. This graceful, clever and often funny work is a delightful romance, a drama of finely-splintered family dynamics and a mystery about the true nature of genius.

Artefact Theatre Co. is a Melbourne based independent production company founded by actor/producer Mark Yeates. Its name is derived from the idea that powerful theatre leaves something behind with an audience, buried deep within their minds. At Artefact Theatre, they are committed to producing intelligent, compelling productions that prove that live theatre is an exciting and profound experience.

As PROOF is about a family living and dealing with mental illness and the often frightening concept of heredity, Artefact Theatre Co. is proud to partner with SANE Australia. SANE is a non-profit organisation that works to help all Australians living with a mental illness lead a better life. They do this through through support, training and education. When you purchase a ticket to PROOF, there will be an optional donation. This money goes to towards the many services and programs that SANE provides. To find out more, go to sane.org

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