Sierra Stages Presents David Auburn's PROOF, 5/1-18

Sierra Stages is proud to present the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama PROOF by David Auburn from May 1 through May 18 at the Off Center Stage in Grass Valley.

Genius mathematician and University of Chicago professor Robert is struggling with mental illness. His fiercely brilliant yet emotionally fragile daughter Catherine is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Caught between a new-found connection with one of Robert's former students, Hal, and the reappearance of her sister, Claire, Catherine's world becomes increasingly unstable. As she struggles to find herself amid her father's world of hidden complexities and tantalizing secrets, she is forced to face the possibility of inheriting both her father's creative genius and his terrifying mental illness.

"PROOF is one of the great American plays written in the last 15 years," says director Robert Rossman. "It is funny, dry, and heart-breaking. It is about faith, talent, legacy and family. It connects with audiences and stays with you long after you experience it." When the play premiered in 2000, The New York Times described PROOF as "[a] family play of ideas -- with intricate twists and turns, it takes a dramatic and comic ride through the lives of a brilliant, deranged mathematician and his two daughters, one of whom has devoted herself to taking care of her father." Playwright David Auburn has commented, "I think the play is dealing in a heightened way with emotions that a lot of people feel about their families. I think everyone in some way both worries and hopes to be like their family, to inherit traits they admire and also to avoid being in some ways - following in patterns that may be they don't like as much. But I think if there is a reason why the play is connected with audiences, that might be the reason."

The Sierra Stages production of PROOF features real-life father and daughter Robert Rossman and Emily Rossman as Robert and Catherine, together with Nevada County actors Tracie Nickle as Claire and Gary Richmond as Hal. Set design is by Mike Edwards, lighting design is by Casey Burke and costume design is by Linda Maloney.

Performances of PROOF are Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays (May 11 and 18 only) at 2 PM. General Admission is $20. For those audience members who prefer a specific seat location and wish to provide additional financial support for Sierra Stages, Reserved Seating Is available for $30.

General Admission and Reserved Seating tickets are available online at www.SierraStages.org or by calling Sierra Stages at 530.346.3210. Tickets are also on sale at BriarPatch Co-op on Sierra College Boulevard in Grass Valley.

Sierra Stages' sixth season will continue this summer with J.M Barrie's PETER PAN (July 10 through August 2 at the Nevada Theatre in Nevada City) and this fall with YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN (September 18 through October 12 at the Off Center Stage). Sierra Stages is a tax-exempt not-for-profit community theatre with a goal to enrich the culture of western Nevada County. In its first five seasons, Sierra Stages has presented 20 plays and musicals and has received 38 Elly Award nominations for its productions.

For more information about PROOF and Sierra Stages, visit www.SierraStages.org