PROOF Opens Tonight At The Kitchen Theatre Company

Next up at Kitchen Theatre Company is Proof, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play by David Auburn that explores what we inherit from our parents and what it takes to believe a woman when she doesn't have the physical proof to back up her words. Performances of Proof begin at the Kitchen Theatre Company in the Percy Browning Performance Space on Saturday, November 23 and will run through Sunday, December 15. Thanks to the support of two sponsors and an anonymous donor, all three preview performances (11/23, 11/24, 11/25) will offer patrons the opportunity to "Pay What You Want," attending the performance for any price.

Following the death of her father, a famous mathematician, Catherine must grapple with what she may or may not have inherited from him-from brilliance to madness. With the appearance of Catherine's estranged sister, an unexpected suitor, and a notebook containing a groundbreaking proof, Catherine's life and the future of the field change forever. Proof is a poignant portrayal of genius and the complexity of love and reconciliation.

Director and Producing Artistic Director M. Bevin O'Gara says, "When we choose the titles you experience at the Kitchen we ask, 'Why this play now?' With Proof, the question the play asks has evolved and has a different resonance in 2019. In 2000, Proof asked, 'Did Catherine write the proof?' Now we must ask, 'Why don't we believe that Catherine wrote the proof?' Catherine encounters so much doubt in the play. Why is that, and is it something we will be able to see her overcome?"

Proof will feature the return of Aila Peck, who was previously seen on stage at Kitchen Theatre Company in Brahman/i: A One-Hijra Stand-Up Comedy Show. Peck will play Catherine, a young woman seeking solace after her father's death. The rest of the company will consist of Rom Barkhordar as Robert, Joseph Marella as Hal and Turna Mete as Claire. The four actors all worked with O'Gara on a production of Ayad Akhtar's The Who & The What at Huntington Theatre Company. "Getting the chance to bring this family back together again and to share their joy and talent with Ithaca is one of the aspects of the 2019-20 season I have been looking the most forward to," says O'Gara .

The creative team will consist of a mix of returning and new designers to Kitchen Theatre Company. Returning designers include Scenic Design by Kent Goetz (Hand to God, Heroes, Private Lives and many others), Lighting Design by Daisy Long (2.5 Minute Ride), and Sound Design by Associate Producer, Lesley Greene (The Roommate, Ironbound, among others), featuring original music composed by Tanya K. Palit Husain. Costume Design will be by KTC newcomer, Mary Lauve. The Technical Director is Brendan Komala and the Production Stage Manager is Jennifer Schilansky.

Special events for Proof include Pay What You Want Nights featuring post-show discussions with Producing Artistic Director, M. Bevin O'Gara on November 23, 24, and 25, and Actors' Forums on December 6 and 13. Opening Night is on Tuesday, November 26 and includes a post-show reception with delicious food and drinks. Proof has an adjusted performance run to accommodate Thanksgiving Day and will feature an added 2:00 PM matinee performance on Saturday, November 30th and a 10:00 AM Student matinee for high school students on December 12. For more events and information, visit kitchentheatre.org.

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