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Proof: A Play

Description:

David Auburn's Proof won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was adapted to film by director John Madden, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

One of the most acclaimed plays of its time, Proof is a work that explores the unknowability of love as much as it does the mysteries of science.

It focuses on Catherine, a young woman who has spent years caring for her father, Robert, a brilliant mathematician in his youth who was later unable to function without her help. His death has brought into her midst both her sister, Claire, who wants to take Catherine back to New York with her, and Hal, a former student of Catherine's father who hopes to find some hint of Robert's genius among his incoherent scribblings. The passion that Hal feels for math both moves and angers Catherine, who, in her exhaustion, is torn between missing her father and resenting the great sacrifices she made for him. For Catherine has inherited at least a part of her father's brilliance―and perhaps some of his instability as well. As she and Hal become attracted to each other, they push at the edges of each other's knowledge, considering not only the unpredictability of genius but also the human instinct toward love and trust.

Read more

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Twenty-five-year-old Catherine, who sacrificed college to care for her mentally ill father (once a brilliant, much-admired mathematician), is left in a kind of limbo after his death. Socially awkward and a bit of a shut-in, she is gruff with Hal, a former student who shows up even before the funeral wanting to root through the countless notebooks her father kept in the years of his decline, hoping to find mathematical gold. On the heels of his arrival comes Claire, Catherine's cosmopolitan, blandly successful, and pushy sister, with plans to sell their father's house and take Catherine (whom she's convinced has inherited a touch of their father's illness) with her back to New York. Catherine does not want to leave, and things become more complicated as she and Hal tentatively begin to develop a relationship. She gives him the key to a drawer in her father's desk, where the "gold" waits-in the form of a notebook filled with the most original and astonishing mathematical proof Hal has seen in years. Thrilled, he wants to take immediate steps to have the proof published in her father's name, until Catherine shocks both him and Claire by declaring that she is its author. Hal's harsh incredulity pushes Catherine into an indifferent funk, sorely disappointed by the insult of having to prove her honesty to a friend she had trusted. There is much to appeal to YAs in this Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play, which crackles with subtle wit while tackling large questions.

Emily Lloyd, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

After the death of her mathematical genius father, Catherine, who gave up her own study of mathematics to tend to him, claims that she is the author of a mathematical proof found in the attic among his unpublished, mostly incoherent notebooks by Hal, one of his former students. But what "proof" does Catherine have that she, and not her father, is the author? Her older sister, home to attend the funeral, doubts her claim and, in fact, doubts Catherine's own sanity. Hal, who has professional ambitions of his own, isn't exactly disinterested and may not be trustworthy; his sleeping with Catherine has also complicated the issue. The elusiveness of genius in general and the difficulty of a mathematical proof in particular here become metaphors for the uncertainties of love, trust, and personal integrity. This wonderful play has already won the Kesselring Prize for Auburn, also a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. Proof's deft dialog, its careful structure, and the humanity of the central characters are themselves proof of a major new talent in the American theater. Strongly recommended for all drama collections. Robert W. Melton, Univ. of Kansas Libs., Lawrence
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful play!

L.F. · November 10, 2024

Outstanding story full of deep characters and nuanced storytelling.A wonderful play.Highly recommended!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Prove It To Me.

t. · November 24, 2004

This is a wonderful, well-thought out play. The cast consists of only four characters and the plot moves back and forth in time from the present to the past and from dreams to reality. Catherine's father, Robert (who seems loosely based on the real-life John Nash) was one of the most brilliant mathematicians to have ever lived. By the time he was 25 he had changed the mathematics world twice. Then he became mentally sick and his brilliant and beautiful daughter Catherine drops out of school to take care of him. Robert dies, but Catherine has inherited some of his gifts. Though she was forced to drop out of college, she, too is a mathematical genius. The only problem is that her "boyfriend" Hal and her older sister Claire think she has also inherited some of Robert's dementia.What starts off as a play seemingly about mathematics and the effects of dementia ends up really being a piece of theatrical genius about love and family. A great show if done right.

5.0 out of 5 stars We are SO doing this show! And the humor!

M.B. · February 28, 2010

I've seen this play twice in the last week, and the movie some time ago. Last week's play in North Hollywood was produced by the actress who played Catherine. She's talented, and doubtless wanted to do the show since it is such a wonderful vehicle for a young woman. She also is in a wheelchair.What I saw during this show is the nearly continuous humor! Some Bolo reviewers have mentioned the wit -- one calling it sarcasm -- but none have paid it the heed I think it deserves. And that's one of the things about live theater. The humor really comes out, takes a stretch and breathes. Of course it also illuminates the characters, probably much more economically than simple exposition could.The second production I saw was LACHSAs -- the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. They staged it with FORTY actors, switching midscene between pairs of students. It was much less jarring than you might think. So that gave us many-more-than-one takes on how an actor might work with the material. Plus these young people got to flex their wings.So I bought the script from Bolo and will see about producing it. My dad is a PhD mathematician. I'm a middle aged guy. Let's say talentwise I'm at the experienced community theater level. But I have an advantage that may let me do something special with the play.My daughter is a talented actress. And she's 25.

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Awesome

R. · August 21, 2018

My first review was rejected because I focused too much on how great the company performed. So, let me tell you how great this script is. I saw the movie. It was ok. I was told to read the script because it is much, MUCH better. So, I am. The condition of the play is brand new. The print is clear and very legible. None of the pages seem to be out of order or printed upside down. I'm looking forward to sitting down and enjoying this.

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome

R. · March 3, 2025

Great

5.0 out of 5 stars I love it /Me Encanto

A.C. · May 17, 2024

This book makes you doubt your understanding of mental health.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Play Worth Reading

m.m. · December 24, 2015

I saw a fabulous production of this show at Theatreworks in California this kyear (2015). As soon as it was over I decided I wanted to see it again so I purchased the script and as I read it I could see the wonderful actors who performed it again and again. This is a beautiful play.

5.0 out of 5 stars Clean and Clear

P.K. · December 23, 2013

Bought this script for a high school drama student to read, mark up and review. It did the job. Nice size, decent type face, tight binding. No frills paperback, but it did note alternate versions of this play. Everything needed to read/study this modern play in it's stage form. THIS IS NOT THE FILM version. Basic professional script from the experts at producing scripts--Dramatists Pay Service, INC.

Abnormal or non-conformist?

N. · October 7, 2013

In a very audacious provocative way, David Auburn questions the concept of "normality", converging with the Anti-Psychiatry movement. The counter-hero (the "abnormal" one turns to be the likable hero) while the hero (the "normal" sister appears rather an unpleasant counter-hero!). If he breaks the rule of decency that use to govern the theatre, by making his characters swear and even use the f.... word, it is to enhance their reality and proximity: they could be one of us!

Sep. 4th – a good day

D.T. · August 29, 2014

Ein genialer Mathematiker, Robert, ist gerade verstorben, er wurde die letzten Jahren von seiner Tochter Catherine betreut, nachdem seine Fähigkeiten auf Grund einer geistigen Erkrankung nachließen, sie hat dafür ihr Studium – ebenfalls Mathematik – unterbrochen, und lässt sich seitdem etwas gehen. Das vier Personen Stück von David Auburn beginnt mit dem Vorabend von Catherine 25. Geburtstag – dem 4. September. – einem guten Tag – wie der tote Robert, in einem geistigen Zwiegespräch feststellt.Im Laufe der Handlung, die immer wieder mit zeitlichen Rückblenden arbeitet, findet Hal, ein ehemaliger Student von Robert, in einem von dessen Notizbüchern die Skizzen zu einem Beweis einer tiefen zahlentheoretischen Erkenntnis; zur allgemeiner Überraschung verkündet Catherine, dass diese Notizen geschrieben hat.Das Stück handelt in eindringlicher Weise von der Leidenschaft nach Erkenntnis, der fragilen Begabung, tiefer hinter die geheimnisvollen mathematischen Zusammenhänge blicken zu können, einer Leidenschaften, die mit unter ihren Preis verlangt; diese Leidenschaft teilt Catherine mit ihrem Vater. Den Gegenpol bildet Claire, Chatherines bodenständige Schwester.Diese faszinierende Konstellation diente dem Boston Globe in einem Leitartikel vom 16. Mai 2002 als eines von drei Beispielen "When Did Math Become Sexy?"Für 'Proof' erhielt der Autor den Pulitzer Prize und den Toni Award für das Jahr 2001. 2005 wude das Stück als Film adaptiert, mit Anthony Hopkins und Gwyneth Paltrow in den Hauptrollen.

Homework made easy!

A.B. · November 3, 2023

We were asked to buy this for my daughter’s drama sessions and have ended up fascinated. Such a good read even though it’s a play. Arrived on time and in great condition.

A play that is alive

M. · April 1, 2017

One of the best works on mathematicians without using any mathematics.

Great play

M. · December 16, 2017

Wonderful play. Well worth its marvellous reputation. Have since directed a production of it and received a very positive response from our audiences. Thank you David Auburn!

Visit the Farrar, Straus and Giroux Store

Proof: A Play

Product ID: U0571199976
Condition: New

4.7

AED14724

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Type: Paperback
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.

Returns & Warranty policies

Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

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Visit the Farrar, Straus and Giroux Store

Proof: A Play

Product ID: U0571199976
Condition: New

4.7

Proof: A Play-0
Type: Paperback

AED14724

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.

Returns & Warranty policies

Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

Description:

David Auburn's Proof won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was adapted to film by director John Madden, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

One of the most acclaimed plays of its time, Proof is a work that explores the unknowability of love as much as it does the mysteries of science.

It focuses on Catherine, a young woman who has spent years caring for her father, Robert, a brilliant mathematician in his youth who was later unable to function without her help. His death has brought into her midst both her sister, Claire, who wants to take Catherine back to New York with her, and Hal, a former student of Catherine's father who hopes to find some hint of Robert's genius among his incoherent scribblings. The passion that Hal feels for math both moves and angers Catherine, who, in her exhaustion, is torn between missing her father and resenting the great sacrifices she made for him. For Catherine has inherited at least a part of her father's brilliance―and perhaps some of his instability as well. As she and Hal become attracted to each other, they push at the edges of each other's knowledge, considering not only the unpredictability of genius but also the human instinct toward love and trust.

Read more

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Twenty-five-year-old Catherine, who sacrificed college to care for her mentally ill father (once a brilliant, much-admired mathematician), is left in a kind of limbo after his death. Socially awkward and a bit of a shut-in, she is gruff with Hal, a former student who shows up even before the funeral wanting to root through the countless notebooks her father kept in the years of his decline, hoping to find mathematical gold. On the heels of his arrival comes Claire, Catherine's cosmopolitan, blandly successful, and pushy sister, with plans to sell their father's house and take Catherine (whom she's convinced has inherited a touch of their father's illness) with her back to New York. Catherine does not want to leave, and things become more complicated as she and Hal tentatively begin to develop a relationship. She gives him the key to a drawer in her father's desk, where the "gold" waits-in the form of a notebook filled with the most original and astonishing mathematical proof Hal has seen in years. Thrilled, he wants to take immediate steps to have the proof published in her father's name, until Catherine shocks both him and Claire by declaring that she is its author. Hal's harsh incredulity pushes Catherine into an indifferent funk, sorely disappointed by the insult of having to prove her honesty to a friend she had trusted. There is much to appeal to YAs in this Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play, which crackles with subtle wit while tackling large questions.

Emily Lloyd, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

After the death of her mathematical genius father, Catherine, who gave up her own study of mathematics to tend to him, claims that she is the author of a mathematical proof found in the attic among his unpublished, mostly incoherent notebooks by Hal, one of his former students. But what "proof" does Catherine have that she, and not her father, is the author? Her older sister, home to attend the funeral, doubts her claim and, in fact, doubts Catherine's own sanity. Hal, who has professional ambitions of his own, isn't exactly disinterested and may not be trustworthy; his sleeping with Catherine has also complicated the issue. The elusiveness of genius in general and the difficulty of a mathematical proof in particular here become metaphors for the uncertainties of love, trust, and personal integrity. This wonderful play has already won the Kesselring Prize for Auburn, also a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. Proof's deft dialog, its careful structure, and the humanity of the central characters are themselves proof of a major new talent in the American theater. Strongly recommended for all drama collections. Robert W. Melton, Univ. of Kansas Libs., Lawrence
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful play!

L.F. · November 10, 2024

Outstanding story full of deep characters and nuanced storytelling.A wonderful play.Highly recommended!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Prove It To Me.

t. · November 24, 2004

This is a wonderful, well-thought out play. The cast consists of only four characters and the plot moves back and forth in time from the present to the past and from dreams to reality. Catherine's father, Robert (who seems loosely based on the real-life John Nash) was one of the most brilliant mathematicians to have ever lived. By the time he was 25 he had changed the mathematics world twice. Then he became mentally sick and his brilliant and beautiful daughter Catherine drops out of school to take care of him. Robert dies, but Catherine has inherited some of his gifts. Though she was forced to drop out of college, she, too is a mathematical genius. The only problem is that her "boyfriend" Hal and her older sister Claire think she has also inherited some of Robert's dementia.What starts off as a play seemingly about mathematics and the effects of dementia ends up really being a piece of theatrical genius about love and family. A great show if done right.

5.0 out of 5 stars We are SO doing this show! And the humor!

M.B. · February 28, 2010

I've seen this play twice in the last week, and the movie some time ago. Last week's play in North Hollywood was produced by the actress who played Catherine. She's talented, and doubtless wanted to do the show since it is such a wonderful vehicle for a young woman. She also is in a wheelchair.What I saw during this show is the nearly continuous humor! Some Bolo reviewers have mentioned the wit -- one calling it sarcasm -- but none have paid it the heed I think it deserves. And that's one of the things about live theater. The humor really comes out, takes a stretch and breathes. Of course it also illuminates the characters, probably much more economically than simple exposition could.The second production I saw was LACHSAs -- the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. They staged it with FORTY actors, switching midscene between pairs of students. It was much less jarring than you might think. So that gave us many-more-than-one takes on how an actor might work with the material. Plus these young people got to flex their wings.So I bought the script from Bolo and will see about producing it. My dad is a PhD mathematician. I'm a middle aged guy. Let's say talentwise I'm at the experienced community theater level. But I have an advantage that may let me do something special with the play.My daughter is a talented actress. And she's 25.

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Awesome

R. · August 21, 2018

My first review was rejected because I focused too much on how great the company performed. So, let me tell you how great this script is. I saw the movie. It was ok. I was told to read the script because it is much, MUCH better. So, I am. The condition of the play is brand new. The print is clear and very legible. None of the pages seem to be out of order or printed upside down. I'm looking forward to sitting down and enjoying this.

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome

R. · March 3, 2025

Great

5.0 out of 5 stars I love it /Me Encanto

A.C. · May 17, 2024

This book makes you doubt your understanding of mental health.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Play Worth Reading

m.m. · December 24, 2015

I saw a fabulous production of this show at Theatreworks in California this kyear (2015). As soon as it was over I decided I wanted to see it again so I purchased the script and as I read it I could see the wonderful actors who performed it again and again. This is a beautiful play.

5.0 out of 5 stars Clean and Clear

P.K. · December 23, 2013

Bought this script for a high school drama student to read, mark up and review. It did the job. Nice size, decent type face, tight binding. No frills paperback, but it did note alternate versions of this play. Everything needed to read/study this modern play in it's stage form. THIS IS NOT THE FILM version. Basic professional script from the experts at producing scripts--Dramatists Pay Service, INC.

Abnormal or non-conformist?

N. · October 7, 2013

In a very audacious provocative way, David Auburn questions the concept of "normality", converging with the Anti-Psychiatry movement. The counter-hero (the "abnormal" one turns to be the likable hero) while the hero (the "normal" sister appears rather an unpleasant counter-hero!). If he breaks the rule of decency that use to govern the theatre, by making his characters swear and even use the f.... word, it is to enhance their reality and proximity: they could be one of us!

Sep. 4th – a good day

D.T. · August 29, 2014

Ein genialer Mathematiker, Robert, ist gerade verstorben, er wurde die letzten Jahren von seiner Tochter Catherine betreut, nachdem seine Fähigkeiten auf Grund einer geistigen Erkrankung nachließen, sie hat dafür ihr Studium – ebenfalls Mathematik – unterbrochen, und lässt sich seitdem etwas gehen. Das vier Personen Stück von David Auburn beginnt mit dem Vorabend von Catherine 25. Geburtstag – dem 4. September. – einem guten Tag – wie der tote Robert, in einem geistigen Zwiegespräch feststellt.Im Laufe der Handlung, die immer wieder mit zeitlichen Rückblenden arbeitet, findet Hal, ein ehemaliger Student von Robert, in einem von dessen Notizbüchern die Skizzen zu einem Beweis einer tiefen zahlentheoretischen Erkenntnis; zur allgemeiner Überraschung verkündet Catherine, dass diese Notizen geschrieben hat.Das Stück handelt in eindringlicher Weise von der Leidenschaft nach Erkenntnis, der fragilen Begabung, tiefer hinter die geheimnisvollen mathematischen Zusammenhänge blicken zu können, einer Leidenschaften, die mit unter ihren Preis verlangt; diese Leidenschaft teilt Catherine mit ihrem Vater. Den Gegenpol bildet Claire, Chatherines bodenständige Schwester.Diese faszinierende Konstellation diente dem Boston Globe in einem Leitartikel vom 16. Mai 2002 als eines von drei Beispielen "When Did Math Become Sexy?"Für 'Proof' erhielt der Autor den Pulitzer Prize und den Toni Award für das Jahr 2001. 2005 wude das Stück als Film adaptiert, mit Anthony Hopkins und Gwyneth Paltrow in den Hauptrollen.

Homework made easy!

A.B. · November 3, 2023

We were asked to buy this for my daughter’s drama sessions and have ended up fascinated. Such a good read even though it’s a play. Arrived on time and in great condition.

A play that is alive

M. · April 1, 2017

One of the best works on mathematicians without using any mathematics.

Great play

M. · December 16, 2017

Wonderful play. Well worth its marvellous reputation. Have since directed a production of it and received a very positive response from our audiences. Thank you David Auburn!

Similar suggestions by Bolo

More from this brand

Similar items from “Family”

Share with

Or share with link

https://www.bolo.ae/products/U0571199976