By Jayson Larson/TVCC Public Information
A little more than a month after its last show, the Trinity Valley Community College Department of Theatre is preparing to unveil its final show of the fall semester – David Auburn’s cerebral drama, “Proof.”
“Proof” will be performed Nov. 14-16 at 7:30 p.m. in the TVCC Auditorium. A Sunday matinee is set to close the show’s run at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 17. Admission is $5 per person (or free with a TVCC ID).
The play centers on Catherine, who, on the eve of her 25th birthday, is a troubled young woman who has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. After his death, Catherine must deal with her own volatile emotions while dealing with the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire, and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father’s who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks he left behind.
Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all – how much of her father’s madness, or genius, will she inherit?
“It’s been really fun working with the students on this,” said Craig Lee, TVCC’s Head of Performance Studies and Director of Theatre. “They’re getting to really delve into character study and look at what’s really being said, what’s really going on. There’s a lot of meat to it.”
“There have actually been some real interesting things we discovered throughout,” said Michael Yates, who plays the role of “Hal.” “This isn’t just about some girl’s dad who’s gone crazy. It’s not just about death. This is actually a love story. This is about family. There are actually a lot of layers to it.”
Jacob Miller (who plays “Robert”) and Miranda Womack (“Catherine”) said the play is teaching the performers more about seamlessly integrating script with physical movement – a technique popularized by dance theorist and teacher Rudolf Laban.
“This (play) is teaching us to be more natural in our movements,” said Channing Horton, who plays “Claire.” “It’s a lot different when you’re onstage.”
In addition to the four-person cast, the crew for “Proof” consists of Caleb Cates (light designer); Shelby Murray (costume designer); Tiffany Sexton (sound designer); Savannah Joblin (stage manager); Devon Martin (props master); Brandi McKinney (makeup and hair design); Josh Ritch (assistant set designer); and Thomas Pope (assistant set designer).