Did you enjoy the play "Proof" and would you recommend it? Thank you. I have not seen any reviews on it and would appreciate your opinion.

If you put Proof the play into your search engine you will get their website.This is the synopsis.Hope you enjoy it, I have friends who loved it.

Proof is the story of an enigmatic young woman, Catherine, her manipulative sister, their brilliant father, and an unexpected suitor. They are all pieces of the puzzle in the search for the truth behind a mysterious mathematical proof.

On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine, a young woman who has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, Robert, must deal with the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire, and with the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father’s who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that Robert left behind.

What Hal discovers in an old notebook is a brilliant mathematical result that tests the sisters’ kinship as well as the romantic feelings growing between Catherine and Hal. As Catherine confronts Hal’s affections and Claire’s plans for her life, she struggles to solve the most perplexing problem of all: How much of her father’s madness – or genius – will she inherit? This poignant drama about love and reconciliation unfolds on the back porch of a house settled in Chicago’s Hyde Park.

We(Mom and 20-yr. old daughter) saw "Proof" Thurs. night. We liked it alot, although we usually prefer musicals. Jennifer Jason Leigh and the entire cast(3 others!) were all superb. The math and craziness theme reminded me of "Beautiful Mind." The theatre was packed, maybe because Playbill has been running a $49 special!

My husband and I are not theater nuts, but we both loved "Proof." It won a Pulitzer and a couple of Tonys, too, if you need more validation!

Another solid endorsement of Proof. An outstanding, wonderfully crafted play.

Since you asked, I thought it was contrived and implausible. And I thought that Leigh acted like a silly teenager with a nasal twang. It fits the "hidden genius" theme of recent movies, or the Cinderella tale (think about it - parent, cruel sister, prince charming) we all loved as kids.

It was great if you liked that kind of fantasy, but I did not find it enjoyable. Just my opinion.

Mary -If you see it, tell us what you thought.

I have to agree with Dave. The play was very much contrived and predictable. The script was not deep or meaningful in any way. I saw it with the original cast, so have no idea what the current cast is like, but there's only so much that can be done with a bad script and direction.

My only memory of the play is sitting in the dark theater, wondering how it could have won a Pulitzer and Tony. I wish I had been able to ask for a refund!

"there's only so much you can do with a bad script and direction". You are too funny, John. Perhaps you should volunteer to be on the Pulitzer prize committee, or the Tony committee, or the Drama Critics' committee. All the "experts" think it is a brilliant play, but guess you know a lot more about playwrighting than any of them. I am sure they would welcome your much needed expertise on what a good script is!!!!!

You can nominate yourself for the Pulitzer Prize or something like that.

There is no panel that picks out candidates, so it's possible that someone who wrote something that might have been picked over Proof didn't nominate him or herself and was never considered.

I don't want to take anything away from Pulitzer winners but most awards are so politicized. Find a reviewer you agree with most and go with her opinion, or read the play yourself. You'll miss out on alot of good stuff if you just restrict yourself to whatever wins the major prizes.

I can't believe anyone would say that Proof is predictable and therefor not very good. It is impossible to believe that anyone would know the "secret" about the father's first appearance unless they had read about it in advance. Yes, we suspect that the girl is the one who mastered the "proof", but that predictability is actually essential to an understanding of the play. If we didn't at least suspect or even know that, then the play wouldn't make any sense. It is not a play about suspense. We know Othello will get killed when the curtain opens, so does that mean that because it is a predictable play it is no good? No, these are plays about relationships, both between people and within people. It is one thing to say you didn't enjoy the play for any of a number of reasons, but saying the play itself is no good just isn't a valid response.

We didn't think it was the greatest thing we'd ever seen, but we enjoyed it and thought it was a damned sight better than "Starlight Express."

While I wouldn't expect everyone to like the play (what show does get a 100% endorsement?), it is a bit of a stretch to compare Proof to Cinderella or say that it's got a bad script and direction.

My back may be getting a little creaky, but my mind can still stretch.

I saw "Proof" last year and
highly reccommend it. The cast
was wonderful. An excellent
"non-musical" BW show. I hope
you consider going.

My sixteen-year-old son and I saw the touring company production in Boston a few weeks ago, and we both enjoyed it very much. I don't know how that cast compares to the one in New York; I thought that the young woman who played Catherine was terrific. I was very impressed with the set, too, I thought it was very well done.