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Home , Carole Shorenstein Hays, Daryl Roth, David Auburn, Emily Bergl, Roger Berlind, William Hauptman

39th Season • 376th Production SEGERSTROM STAGE / JANUARY 3 THROUGH FEBRUARY 9, 2003

David Emmes Martin Benson PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

presents

by

Scenic Design Costume Design Lighting Design THOMAS BUDERWITZ MAGGIE MORGAN YORK KENNEDY

Original Music & Sound Design Production Manager Stage Manager MITCH GREENHILL TOM ABERGER *RANDALL K. LUM

Directed by MICHAEL BLOOM

Honorary Producer FRANCES A. BASS

Originally Produced by the Theatre Club on May 23, 2000. Subsequently produced on Broadway by , , Artistic Director, Barry Grove, Executive Producer; Roger Berlind, , Jujamcyn Theatres, Ostar Enterprises, and Stuart Thompson on October 24, 2000. Proof by David Auburn is presented by arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., in .

Proof • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance)

Robert ...... *Richard Doyle Catherine ...... *Emily Bergl Hal ...... *James Waterston Claire ...... *Christina Haag

SETTING The back porch of a house in .

LENGTH Approximately two hours, including one 15-minute intermission.

PRODUCTION STAFF Casting Director ...... Joanne DeNaut Assistant Stage Manager ...... *Vanessa J. Noon Dramaturg ...... Jennifer Kiger Production Assistant ...... Chrissy Church Costume Design Assistant ...... Julie Keen Assistant to the Lighting Designer ...... Jason Bieber Stage Management Intern ...... Diane Lin

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Professor Penelope Maddy and Professor David Malament from the University of California, Irvine Department of Logic & Philosophy of Science

Cellular phones, beepers and watch alarms should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. The use of cameras and recorders in the theatre is prohibited. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre.

* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Official Airline Media Partner Media Partner

P2 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Proof Searching for Answers

The mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s or the poet’s, must be beautiful; the ideas, like the colors or the words, must fit together in a harmonious way. Beauty is the first test; there is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics. —G.H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology

No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof. —Henry David Thoreau, Walden

I believe with Schopenhauer that one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and to science is to es- cape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one’s own ever-shifting personal desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought. —Albert Einstein

I continued to do arithmetic with my father, passing proudly through fractions to decimals. I eventually arrived at the point where so many cows ate so much grass, and tanks filled with water in so many hours. I found it quite enthralling. —Agatha Christie, An Autobiography

A great truth is a truth whose opposite is also a great truth. —Thomas Mann, Essay on Freud

Perhaps I could best describe my experience of doing mathematics in terms of entering a dark mansion. You go into the first room and it’s dark, completely dark. You stumble around, bumping into furniture. Gradually, you learn where each piece of furniture is. And finally, after six months or so, you find the light switch and turn it on. Suddenly, it’s all illuminated and you know exactly where you were. Then you enter the next dark room …. —Andrew Wiles, describing his seven year quest to prove Fermat’s Last Theorem

We arrive at truth, not by reason only, but also by the heart. —Blaise Pascal, Pensées

No one really understood music unless he was a scientist, her father had declared, and not just a scientist, either, oh, no, only the real ones, the theoreticians, whose language was mathematics. She had not un- derstood mathematics until he had explained to her that it was the symbolic language of relationships. “And relationships,” he had told her, “contained the essential meaning of life.” —Pearl S. Buck, The Goddess Abides

Proof •SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P3 EMILY BERGL RICHARD DOYLE CHRISTINA HAAG Catherine Robert Claire

Artist Biographies

*EMILY BERGL (Catherine) made berries” and pre- Intimate Exchanges, for which he her SCR debut last season in The sents Taken. earned a Los Angeles Drama Crit- School for Wives. On Broadway ics Circle Award nomination. He she appeared in The Lion in Win- *RICHARD DOYLE (Robert) is an won LADCC Awards for his roles ter for which she won the FANY SCR Founding Artist. He appeared in Sally Nemeth’s Holy Days and as People’s Choice Award for best earlier this season in Major Bar- Reverend Hale in . Broadway debut. Off-Broadway bara and A Christmas Carol, last “Cheers” fans will remember him she performed in the world pre- season in The School for Wives and as Woody’s snooty father-in-law miere of ’s Old The Homecoming and the previous Walter Gaines. Other film and Money at Lincoln Center. Region- season in The Beard of Avon, television credits include Air Force al theatre credits include Our Much Ado about Nothing, A Deli- One, “NYPD Blue,” “Sisters,” Town at La Jolla Playhouse, cate Balance and A Christmas movies of the week, “The Prac- Romeo & Juliet at The Globe The- Carol. Additional appearances in- tice” and guest star appearances atres, Under Cover of Darkness at clude the world premieres of On on “The Pretender” and “The Lot.” New York Stage & Film, The Skin the Jump (Robby Award), But Not He is a voice-over actor in anima- of Our Teeth and in a Life- for Me, BAFO, The Interrogation of tion, CD ROMS, television and time at the Williamstown Theatre Nathan Hale, She Stoops to Folly, radio commercials and documen- Festival and The Rose Tattoo, The , Hospitality Suite and Highest taries, including the Emmy-win- Grapes of Wrath and Agnes of Standard of Living. Other credits ning series The Living Edens, Im- God at L.A. Theatre Works. Film include Of Mice and Men, Ah, pressions of California and the re- and television credits include Wilderness!, What the Butler Saw, cent documentary reenactment Happy Campers, Chasing Sleep, Pygmalion, Six Degrees of Separa- The Bismark. The Rage: Carrie II, Final Draft, tion, Arms and the Man, The “ER,” “NYPD Blue,” “Gilmore Cherry Orchard, Waiting for *CHRISTINA HAAG (Claire) made Girls,” “Providence,” “Wild Thorn- Godot, Our Country’s Good and her SCR debut in Amy’s View and

P4 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Proof land Playhouse), and she originat- . Film credits include ed the role of Irene in the pre- Oscar, The Debutantes, Dead miere of Bill C. Davis’ Avow. Ms. Poets Society, A Dog Race in Alas- Haag has starred in the indepen- ka and Little Sweetheart. Televi- dent films Shaking the Tree, A sion appearances include “ER,” Matter of Degrees and The Mantis “Diagnosis Murder,” “Shrinking Vi- Murder. Television credits in- olet,” “13 Bourbon Street,” HBO's clude “Providence,” “Boston Pub- Live from Baghdad, Christy and lic,” “Family Law,” “Seinfeld,” Oppenheimer. “Law and Order,” “New York Un- dercover” and leading roles in PLAYWRIGHT, DIRECTOR several movies of the week. She &DESIGNERS starred opposite Jane Alexander and Christopher Plummer in A DAVID AUBURN (Playwright) won Marriage: Georgia O’Keefe and the Tony Award and the Pulitzer JAMES WATERSTON Alfred Steiglitz for PBS and oppo- Prize for Proof, which premiered Hal site Elliot Gould in The Middle of at the Manhattan Theatre Club in the Night by Paddy Chayefsky for May 2000, and opened at Broad- L.A. Theatre Works. Ms. Haag is a way’s on Oc- then appeared in the Pacific Play- graduate of the . tober 24, 2000. Plays include wrights Festival readings of Inti- Skyscraper (Greenwich House), mate Apparel and Getting Frankie *JAMES WATERSTON (Hal) is Fifth Planet (New York Stage and Married —and Afterwards. She making his SCR debut. New York Film), Miss You (HBO Comedy played Yelena in Uncle Vanya di- theater credits include Another Arts Festival) and The Next Life rected by Michael Langham at the Time, The Lady and the Clarinet, (Juilliard School). His short play Geffen Playhouse. Her New York Circus Maximus and The Pollyan- What Do You Believe About the credits include Love’s Labour’s nas. Regional theater credits in- Future? appeared in Harper’s Lost (Theatre for a New Audi- clude Twelfth Night and An Infi- Magazine and has been adapted ence); Camp Paradox (W.P.A.); nite Ache at The Globe Theatres, for the screen. Winners (Irish Arts Center); and Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Chelsea Walls, Hot Keys and The Syracuse Stage, The Seagull at the MICHAEL BLOOM (Director) is Naked Truth (Naked Angels). She , Gross very pleased to return to SCR also starred in the New York pre- Indecency and Ah, Wilderness! at where he directed the premieres miere of ’s Elegy for a the Huntington Theater, Long of Sight Unseen by Donald Mar- Lady at E.S.T. She appeared as Day’s Journey into Night and Ar- gulies and Let’s Play Two by An- Hannah Jarvis in Arcadia (Arena cadia at the Pittsburgh Public thony Clarvoe. He has also di- Stage), in The Real Thing Theater, Our Town at the Fulton rected at the American Repertory (Pasadena Playhouse/The Globe Opera House and three seasons of Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Seattle Theatres), Desdemona in Othello the Greylock Project at the Rep, Williamstown Theatre Festi- (The Globe Theatres), Ophelia in Williamstown Theater Festival. val, Manhattan Theatre Club, Alley (Center Stage), and Chris Mr. Waterston is also a founding Theatre, Alliance Theatre Compa- in Dancing at Lughnasa (Cleve- member of the Malaparte Theater ny, Cleveland Playhouse, Long

Proof•SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P5 Wharf Theatre, Huntington The- The Imaginary Invalid, Hay Fever, (Drama-Logue Award) at the Mark atre Company, the O’Neill Play- The Taming of the Shrew, Much Taper Forum. She has designed wrights Conference and the Sun- Ado about Nothing, Richard III, So shows in New York at SOHO Rep, dance Playwright’s Institute. His It Is ...If So It Seems To You, A HB Playwrights, and NADA and productions have been seen Christmas Carol, The Glass also at New Jersey Shakespeare throughout Japan and in Tokyo at Menagerie, Great Expectations, Festival and Yale Repertory. Film the Aoyama Theatre and Theatre Ah, Wilderness! and Tartuffe. projects include the independent Cocoon. For his Off-Broadway Other notable designs include If features Sex and a Girl and production of Sight Unseen he re- You Ever Leave Me... at the Canon Breathing Hard. Ms. Morgan has ceived a Drama Desk nomination. Theatre, Camping with Henry & worked as an assistant costume Recent productions include Gross Tom and Swingtime Canteen for designer on many feature films in- Indecency (for which we won the McCoy/Rigby at the La Mirada cluding A Bronx Tale, Apollo 13, Elliott Norton Award for Best Di- Theater, Jack Fletcher’s production Casino, Wag the Dog, Men in recting in 1998), the world pre- of A Midsummer Night’s Dream Black, Life, The Grinch and Mur- miere of at for P.C.P.A. Theatrefest and the der by Numbers. She is a gradu- Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Westwood Playhouse, 2 at Theatre ate of the Yale School of Drama Los Angeles premieres of The Forty, The Blue Dahlia and South and teaches costume design at Cryptogram and The Old Neigh- Central Rain for the Pacific Resi- FIDM in Los Angeles, Columbia borhood at the Geffen Playhouse, dent Theatre Ensemble, D-Girl at College of Chicago “Semester in and the world premiere of Ten- the Century City Playhouse, Hea- L.A.,” and UC Davis. nessee Williams’s Spring Storm. then Valley at the Grove Shake- He’s had the pleasure of working speare Festival, Great Expecta- YORK KENNEDY (Lighting Design) with such playwrights as Don tions at the Arizona Theatre Com- has designed for theatres across DeLillo, Shirley Gee, David Hare, pany, Arms and the Man at the the country including Berkeley William Hauptman, Arthur Kopit, Denver Center Theatre Company, Rep, A.C.T., The Globe Theatres, Neil Labute, David Lodge and Broadway Bound for the Portland Seattle Rep, the Alley Theatre, . Mr. Bloom has Repertory Theatre and Loot for the Yale Rep, Brooklyn Academy of been Associate Artistic Director at San Diego Repertory Theatre. Mr. Music and the Whitney Museum the Hartman Theatre Company Buderwitz’s current and recent in New York. Designs for South and Associate Director at Ameri- television designs include “Battle- Coast Repertory include The Cir- can Repertory Theatre. He has bots” on Comedy Central; “Go For cle, Bosoms and Neglect, All My taught at NYU, Harvard University It” for ABC Family; “America’s Ju- Sons, The Norman Conquests, and Scripps College. He is cur- nior Miss” for NBC and PAX; “The Good As New, Hedda Gabler, Old rently Professor of Theatre at the Voice of Disney” for ABC; and Times and Lips Together, Teeth University of Texas at Austin. His “Mr. Show,” “Def Comedy Jam,” Apart. His awards for theatrical book Thinking Like a Director “Sketch Pad” and “HBO Comedy lighting design include the was published by Farrar, Straus, & Hour” for HBO. Drama-Logue, San Diego Drama Giroux in 2001. Critics Circle, Back Stage West MAGGIE MORGAN (Costume De- Garland, Arizona Theatre Award THOMAS BUDERWITZ (Scenic De- sign) is pleased to return to SCR and the Bay Area Theatre Critics sign) most recently redesigned where she designed the costumes Circle Award. In the dance world SCR’s production of A Christmas for Getting Frankie Married—and he has toured as a Stage Manager, Carol. He previously designed A Afterwards and The Homecoming Technical Director and Lighting Delicate Balance and But Not for last season. The previous season Designer throughout Eastern Eu- Me at SCR. His recent designs in- she designed The Countess, direct- rope and the United States. As an clude Under the Blue Sky for the ed by Juliette Carrillo. Her recent architectural lighting designer, he Geffen Playhouse, The Triumph of designs include The Birthday has designed lighting for numer- Love for A Noise Within and Party and Waiting for Godot ous themed environment, theme Death of a Salesman for the Inter- (Ovation Nomination) at the Ma- park and museum projects all act Theatre. He is currently de- trix Theatre; The Blue Room, Side over the world including the Sony signing Measure for Measure for A Man, Visiting Mr. Green and The Metreon Sendak Playspace (2000 Noise Within, where he is a resi- Presentment at the Pasadena Play- I.E.S. Award) in , dent Scenic Designer. His other house; and Demonology and The Warner Bros. Movie World in ANW designs include: Bus Stop, Joy of Going Somewhere Definite Madrid, Le Centre de Loisirs in

P6 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Proof Morocco, the LEGO Imagination Hill’s The Long Riders and Todd Arts, Long Beach Ballet, San Fran- Centers in Anaheim at Downtown Haynes’ Safe. He has recorded cisco Convention Bureau and Disney and in Chicago, the Port several CDs as an artist, most re- Kawasaki Motorcycles. He would Columbus Civil War Naval History cently Shepherd of the City of like everyone to take a moment Museum in Georgia and the Mis- Blues on Fantasy Jazz. He also to remember all those who have sissippi Discovery Center in has produced one Grammy win- lost the battle and all those still Dubuque, Iowa. His current pro- ner and several nominees. He suffering and fighting the AIDS jects include Absinthe Restaurant has performed at the Newport epidemic. in San Francisco and Pentacost at Folk Festival, Harvard, UCLA, The Globe Theatres this spring, MerleFest and internationally at *VANESSA J. NOON (Assistant along with numerous residential the Cambridge Folk Festival, Van- Stage Manager) returns to SCR and commercial designs. Mr. couver, Winnipeg and tours of having previously stage managed Kennedy is a graduate of Califor- Italy and the United Kingdom. Making It, Nostalgia, The Lone- nia Institute for the Arts and Yale He is president of Folklore Pro- some West and The Countess. Be- School of Drama. Originally from ductions, a company that has rep- sides working at SCR, she has Charlotte, North Carolina, he lives resented vernacular and culturally stage managed for the Mark Taper in Berkeley. specific music for 45 years. Forum’s New Works Festival and P.L.A.Y. Tour, Shakespeare Santa MITCH GREENHILL (Original *RANDALL K. LUM (Stage Manag- Cruz, Shakespeare Festival/L.A., A Music & Sound Design) returns to er) began this season stage man- Noise Within, Buena Vista Special SCR where he designed the world aging Major Barbara. Last season Events at The El Capitan Theater premiere of Collected Stories, Sid- he had the pleasure of working and Universal Studios Hollywood. ney Bechet Killed a Man (Drama- on Getting Frankie Married—and She has also worked on the Logue Award), The Piano Lesson, Afterwards, The School for Wives, Academy Awards, the Primetime Amy’s View, References to Sal- The Homecoming and The Circle. Emmy Awards, “America: A Trib- vador Dali Make Me Hot and the During his long association as ute to Heroes” telethon, and the workshop productions of the one of SCR’s resident stage man- “Pearl Harbor” movie premiere 1998 and 1999 Pacific Playwrights agers he has worked on more onboard the USS John C. Stennis Festival. He received another than a dozen world premieres and in Hawaii. Most recently, she was Drama-Logue Award for The has been associated with over 50 a production coordinator on the Waiting Room at the Mark Taper productions. In 1997, Mr. Lum Anaheim Angels World Series Vic- Forum. On Broadway his work stage managed the AIDS Benefit tory Celebration at Edison Field. was heard in An Almost Holy Pic- “Help is on the Way III” at the ture, starring Kevin Bacon and di- Palace of Fine Arts in San Francis- DAVID EMMES (Producing Artistic rected by Michael Mayer. His co. Other stage management Director) is co-founder and Pro- work has also been heard at credits include the American Con- ducing Artistic Director of SCR, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Seattle servatory Theatre in San Francis- one of the largest professional Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Hunting- co, the Globe Theatres in San resident theatres in California. He ton Theatre Company, Milwaukee Diego, Berkeley Repertory The- has received numerous awards for Rep, McCarter Theatre, Alley The- atre, San Jose Civic Light Opera, productions he has directed dur- atre and Pasadena Playhouse. On VITA Shakespeare Festival, Pacific ing SCR’s 38-year history, includ- screen he has appeared in Walter Conservatory of the Performing ing a 1999 Los Angeles Drama

Proof•SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P7 Critics Circle Award for the direc- MARTIN BENSON (Artistic Di- Sally Nemeth’s Holy Days and tion of George Bernard Shaw’s rector) shares co-founder credit Wit. He also directed the film The Philanderer. He directed and artistic leadership of SCR version of Holy Days using the the world premieres of Amy with his colleague David original SCR cast. Along with Freed’s The Beard of Avon and Emmes. As one of SCR’s chief David Emmes, he accepted Freedomland, Thomas Babe’s directors, Mr. Benson has direct- SCR’s 1988 Tony Award for Out- Great Day in the Morning, Keith ed nearly one third of the plays standing Resident Professional Reddin’s Rum and Coke and But produced here in the last 38 Theatre and won the 1995 The- Not for Me and Neal Bell’s Cold years. He has distinguished atre LA Ovation Award for Life- Sweat; the American premiere of himself in the staging of contem- time Achievement. Mr. Benson Terry Johnson’s Unsuitable for porary work, most notably Paul received his BA in Theatre from Adults; the West Coast premieres Osborn’s Morning’s at Seven, the California State University, San of C.P. Taylor’s Good and Harry critically acclaimed California Francisco. Kondoleon’s Christmas on Mars; premiere of William Nicholson’s and the Southland premiere of Shadowlands, Athol Fugard’s PAULA TOMEI (Managing Direc- Top Girls (at SCR and the West- Playland, Brian Friel’s Dancing tor) is responsible for the overall wood Playhouse). Other pro- at Lughnasa, David Mamet’s administration of the day-to-day ductions include the West Coast Oleanna, ’s The operations of SCR. A member of premieres of Three Viewings by Homecoming, the West Coast the staff since 1979, she has Jeffrey Hatcher, The Secret Rap- premiere of Peter Hedges’ Good served in a number of adminis- ture by David Hare and New As New and David Hare’s Sky- trative capacities including Sub- England by Richard Nelson; and light. He has won accolades for scriptions Manager, Business Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, Six his direction of five major works Manager and General Manager. Degrees of Separation by John by George Bernard Shaw, in- She currently serves as President Guare, The Importance of Being cluding the Los Angeles Drama of Theatre Communications Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Ayck- Critics Circle (LADCC) Award Group (TCG), the national ser- bourn’s Woman in Mind and winners Misalliance and Heart- vice organization for theatre You Never Can Tell by George break House. Among the nu- where she also served a two- Bernard Shaw, which he merous world premieres he has year term as Treasurer, and has restaged for the 1990 Singapore directed are Jon Bastian’s Noah served as the Vice President of Festival of Arts. His producing Johnson Had a Whore..., Tom the League of Resident Theatres responsibilities involve the over- Strelich’s BAFO, and Margaret (LORT). In addition, she has all coordination of SCR’s pro- Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning been a member of the LORT Ne- grams and projects. He has Wit, which he also directed at gotiating Committee for industry- served as a consultant to the Or- Seattle Repertory Theatre and wide union agreements and rep- ange County Performing Arts the Alley Theatre in Houston. resents SCR at national confer- Center and as a theatre panelist He has directed American clas- ences of TCG and LORT; is a and onsite evaluator for the Na- sics including Ah, Wilderness!, A theatre panelist and site visitor tional Endowment for the Arts. Streetcar Named Desire, A Deli- for the National Endowment for He has served on the board of cate Balance and All My Sons. the Arts and the California Arts the California Theatre Council, Mr. Benson has been honored Council (CAC); served on the the Executive Committee of the with the Drama-Logue Award for Advisory Committee for the Arts League of Resident Theatres, and his direction of 21 productions Administration Certificate Pro- as a panelist for the California and received LADCC Distin- gram at UC Irvine; and has been Arts Council. After attending Or- guished Achievement in Direct- a guest lecturer in the graduate ange Coast College, he received ing awards an unparalleled six school of business at Stanford. his BA and MA from California times for the two Shaw produc- She graduated from UC Irvine State University, San Francisco, tions, John Millington Synge’s with a degree in Economics and and his PhD in theatre and film Playboy of the Western World, pursued an additional course of from USC. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, study in theatre and dance.

The Actors and Stage Managers em- The Scenic, Costume, Lighting and The Director is a member of the So- ployed in this production are mem- Sound Designers in LORT theatres ciety of Stage Directors and Chore- bers of Actors’ Equity Association, the are represented by United Scenic ographers, Inc., an independent na- Union of Professional Actors and Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. tional labor union. Stage Managers in the United States.

P8 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Proof