PROOF run dates: 6/6/2008 - 6/8/2008 Harrison Hilltop Theatre at The Green Room Theatre in Rock Island, Illinois ____________________________________________________________________________
By Briana Byrd
Who knew prime numbers, mental illness and a love story could add up to success?
This unlikely trio of topics might not sound like the makings of a great storyline, but the Harrison Hilltop Theatre’s production of PROOF – David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play – is exactly what successful theater is.
PROOF focuses on 25-year-old Catherine, who realizes she may be following her recently deceased and brilliant father’s footsteps – in both mathematics and mental illness. Featuring Donna Hare, Louis Hare, Emily Kurash and Aaron Randolph III, the small cast of PROOF delivers humor, grief, delight and anger through each actor’s excellent interpretation.
Donna Hare stole the show with her performance as Catherine. She was natural and relaxed, almost as though we weren’t watching a play on stage – it seemed more like spending time with a friend who is going through a tough time. I believed her performance and became lost in the story. Rather than watching the clock, I actually wanted to follow the characters past the point where the show ends.
Each actor fits the character they are portraying in an appropriately natural manner, which allows them to work together flawlessly. Randolph’s Robert remembers better days, the math professor Hal (played by Louis Hare) is truly awkward, and older-sister Claire (Kurash) is maddeningly "perfect."
Along with the great individual performances, what works best is the interaction between the characters. Whether between sister and sister, in a budding romance, or between father and daughter, director Chris Walljasper and the cast have ensured each interaction has a chemistry that really makes me believe the story.
My only criticism of this PROOF is of the music played between scenes. It distracts from the overall production, reminding me a bit of a 1990 television show for teenagers. The music choices also are somewhat random, and do not necessarily connect with the storyline.
The staging is simple but effective. Although it consists of only a door, a table, a chair, a window frame and a bench, the actors use the space very well. The set is a backdrop for the story, focusing the audience’s attention on the acting – rather than distracting from it as the music does.
For Harrison Hilltop Theatre’s first show – especially when their own performance space wasn’t ready, and the production had to be moved to another venue – they came out with a bang. This script, combined with a great cast, left me wishing for more as the actors took their bows.
