Hot on the heels of a Neil Simon comedy, Theatre Palisades will switch gears next week when it presents David Auburn’s award-winning drama ‘Proof,’ on stage from April 2 through May 9 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. The piece, which in 2001 won both the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, is directed by Tony Torrisi and co-produced by Martha Hunter and Sherman Wayne. ‘Proof’ tells the story of Catherine, a college student, driven to the brink of nervous exhaustion from caring for her ailing father, a brilliant math professor. Tensions increase when Catherine’s sister Claire comes to visit; a groundbreaking mathematical proof is discovered in the house; and Hal, a graduate student, tries to make sense of it. Matters of madness, trust and love ensue. ‘It’s a brilliant play,’ Torrisi says of Auburn’s masterpiece. ‘The blocking was a challenge. Getting away from talking heads. There are only four people in the play, and it takes place in the backyard.’ Those four people are portrayed by David Kunzle, who plays the math genius Robert, father of Catherine and Claire; Lisa Marie King, who portrays Catherine; Carly Reeves as Catherine’s sister, Claire; and Timothy Sands as Hal, a student of Robert’s. Wayne says that audiences will enjoy the ‘supercharged dysfunctional dynamics of the characters. ‘The play has so many themes and conflicts that we found it very interesting: mental illness, heredity, family,’ he continues. ‘The conflicts between characters are terrific. We decided to do one drama and this seemed to fill our bill.’ Only recently were the people behind Theatre Palisades allowed to pursue staging Auburn’s acclaimed play. ‘The rights had not been available [to the community-theater circuit] until a year ago; they weren’t going to let us amateurs to do it,’ Wayne says, chuckling. The last production mounted by Theatre Palisades”Simon’s ‘Chapter Two,’ directed by Wayne”also featured a four-person cast. He says the material dictates the productions, not the size of the acting ensemble. ‘Obviously, a bigger cast brings in a bigger audience,’ Wayne says. ‘The bigger the cast, the more tickets we can sell, but we do try to balance the season.’ He adds that there will be 10 characters when Theatre Palisades stages the farce ‘Cash on Delivery’ in June. ‘The technical side was making it interesting for the audience,’ Torrisi says of ‘Proof.’ ‘When you’re in an apartment or two, you have doorways and couches and bookcases whereas here, Sherman’s building a beautiful set. We put a table down, the porch steps, the yard left and right, the trashcan.’ ‘It’s a big undertaking,’ says Wayne, who was on a ladder painting a window on the University of Chicago campus-set on Friday. Torrisi’s professional relationship with Wayne goes back a couple of decades. ’Sherman and I worked together while I was artistic director at Palos Verdes Players for 12 years,’ says Torrisi, a resident of Westchester. ‘During that time, I did two shows for Theatre Palisades’an Agatha Christie play eight years ago and ‘The Cactus Flower’ five years ago.’ ’When Sherman retired from teaching [at Palisades High School], he became involved with the PV Players,’ Torrisi says. ‘When it shut down, he came up to Theatre Palisades. Being an acting teacher, he has spent a great deal of time dealing with [character motivation]. With his experience helping acting students, he brings a great deal of understanding.’ In preparing to direct the drama, Torrisi purposely avoided the film version of ‘Proof,’ starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jake Gyllenhaal. ’I stayed away from it,’ Torrisi says. He wasn’t the only one. The $20-million John Madden film, with a screenplay by the playwright, bombed at the box office in 2005, barely earning $14 million at the box office worldwide. ’I did not see any of the stuff on the Internet either,’ Torrisi continues, instead placing his faith in his actors’ interpretations of the material. ’These actors are professional,’ the director says. ‘I come in, all I have to do is show up and guide them.’ Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets (Friday and Sunday: adults $16, seniors and students $14 Saturday: adults $18, seniors and students $16), contact the box office at 310-454-1970 or visit theatrepalisades.org.
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