BWW Reviews: Theatre Three's PROOF - Raw, Real Theater At Its Finest

In the Pulitzer Prize winning play "Proof" by David Auburn, college bound Catherine struggles with having the same brilliant knack for numbers as her mathematician father and the dreadful possibility she has inherited his dementia. Playing through January 28th at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, Long Island, this fantastically done production will surely strike a nerve.

In Brian MacDevitt's incarnation, the brilliant four-person cast consisted of Jack Green as Robert (Father of Catherine and Clair), Maryellen Molfetta as Catherine, Regina Schneider as Clair, and James D. Schultz as Hal. Maryellen's portrayal of a young, torn, scared woman was amazing. From falling for Hal to hysterically claiming ownership of a revolutionary math proof she authored when no one believed her, she drove an incredible emotional roller coaster.

Kudos to Randall Parsons who out did himself with the set. The entire show takes place in the backyard of Catherine and Robert's house. The side of the house rose all the way up to the rafters and into each of the wings. A patio stretched along the back of the house and there was a little walkway with a rickety fence that connects the front and back yards. Additionally, a couple of rusted patio tables were added along with a mesh of dead tree branches hanging over part of the stage. That with a kitchen set behind the back door made great use of the entire area. Catherine and Robert didn’t have much and with Claire living in New York and Robert Ill, the place deteriorated.

Loss, illness, love, reconciliation, empathy, sympathy, and the struggles of relationships are all here. An amazing cast and full, accurate attention to setting the scene, Theatre Three's showing of "Proof" proves to be raw, real theater at its finest.

Tony Award Winning “Proof" is by David Auburn; Directed by Brian MacDevitt; Production Stage Manager, Michelle Manda; Scenic Design by Randall Parsons; Costume Design by Kristy Leigh Hall; Lighting Design by Robert W. Henderson, Jr; Properties by Julie Hoffman; Technical Direction by Neil Creedon Avancy, Inc. For tickets and information call Theatre Three at 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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