[NEohioPAL]Actress is "Proof" at River Street by Herb Hammer, Chagrin Valley Times

Fri Jun 10 08:52:28 PDT 2005

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Actress is "Proof" at River Street
by Herb Hammer
Chagrin Valley Times
6/9/05

An amazing discovery, for me anyway, is the thrilling performance of =
Rachel Appelbaum in David Auburn's "Proof" performing at the River =
Street Playhouse, the pleasant space next door to Chagrin Valley Little =
Theatre.

There are, however, more reasons to see "Proof".  A play doesn't win a =
Pulitzer Prize without being important. =20

Though "Proof" takes its name from a mathematical procedure, this is not =
a play limited to mathematics.  You don't even have to know what a prime =
number is to understand every word of the evenly placed dialogue or to =
relate to the exceptionally drawn characters, three of whom happen to be =
mathematicians.  David Auburn's play is essentially a family drama =
surrounded by madness, with a possibility of more madness to come.

Miss Appelbaum is as fragile as she is tough, as Catherine, who has put =
her life on hold to take care of her father, played in an unusually fine =
manner by Frank Mularo, a mathematical genius suffering from severe =
mental illness.

While not the first playwright to discover the fine line between genius =
and madness, Mr. Auburn has found a way to make it somehow sensible.

Catherine's father, Robert, is dead, which makes his first scene with =
Catherine so lyrical.  He gently tries to get his depressed daughter =
back on her feet and moving again.  She has inherited his amazing mind =
for mathematics.

The first arrival is Hal, another mathematician, who spends his days =
reading through 103 notebooks Robert has left behind.  According to =
Catherine, all were written by a madman, "like a monkey on a =
typewriter."  A mind doesn't just shut down, Hal insists.

Smoothly written flashbacks are gently placed, a device that seldom =
works.  Here they are perfect and help to move the story forward.

>From the jolting last line of Act I through nearly all of Act II, the =
author denies his audience any peace.  Now there are three characters =
left.

Hal, who by now has fallen in love with Catherine, is played intensely =
and with a certain agreeable sentiment by Chris Crimaldi.  Catherine's =
sister Claire insists on taking the disturbed Catherine back with her =
from her Chicago home to New York for some care.  Maria Cornell plays =
the successful business-woman with an even intelligence.  Claire's =
success and underlying jealousy of her father and sister are nicely =
managed.

And there is, of course, Catherine, the central character.  In this =
role, the truly magnificent Miss Appelbaum practically takes the theater =
home with her.  Here is a young talent who will even do better work in =
the future if she stays with it.

It is difficult in a personal, intense play such as "Proof" with this =
much stage talent to find what the director has done or hasn't done.  In =
this case, director Kate Tonti has surely cast the play well, and that's =
90 percent of her job.  She might, however, have taken Mr. Auburn's =
final moments and given them to us in the way he intended.

"Proof" is intelligent theater at its very best, and proof, I may add, =
that rumors of the death of good theater are decidedly premature.

Fridays & Saturdays @ 8 PM
June 3rd - June 18th
56  River Street    Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44022
Box Office: (440) 247-8955
Box Office Hours: 1 - 6 p.m. Monday - Saturday
Tickets    $8

Chris White
Corporate Controller
M. Davis Management Services, Inc.
32100 Solon Road  Suite 204
Solon, OH  44139
440-542-1724-Phone
440-542-1726-Fax
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<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Actress is "Proof" =
at River=20
Street</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>by Herb =
Hammer</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Chagrin Valley=20
Times</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2>6/9/05</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>An amazing =
discovery, for me=20
anyway, is the thrilling performance of Rachel Appelbaum in David =
Auburn's=20
"Proof" performing at the River Street Playhouse, the pleasant space =
next door=20
to Chagrin Valley Little Theatre.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>There are, however, =
more reasons=20
to see "Proof".  A play doesn't win a Pulitzer Prize without being=20
important.  </FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Though "Proof" =
takes its name=20
from a mathematical procedure, this is not a play limited to =
mathematics. =20
You don't even have to know what a prime number is to understand every =
word of=20
the evenly placed dialogue or to relate to the exceptionally drawn =
characters,=20
three of whom happen to be mathematicians.  David Auburn's play is=20
essentially a family drama surrounded by madness, with a possibility of =
more=20
madness to come.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Miss Appelbaum is =
as fragile as=20
she is tough, as Catherine, who has put her life on hold to take care of =
her=20
father, played in an unusually fine manner by Frank Mularo, a =
mathematical=20
genius suffering from severe mental illness.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>While not the first =
playwright to=20
discover the fine line between genius and madness, Mr. Auburn has found =
a way to=20
make it somehow sensible.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Catherine's father, =
Robert, is=20
dead, which makes his first scene with Catherine so lyrical.  He =
gently=20
tries to get his depressed daughter back on her feet and moving =
again.  She=20
has inherited his amazing mind for mathematics.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>The first arrival =
is Hal, another=20
mathematician, who spends his days reading through 103 notebooks Robert =
has left=20
behind.  According to Catherine, all were written by a madman, =
"like a=20
monkey on a typewriter."  A mind doesn't just shut down, Hal=20
insists.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Smoothly written =
flashbacks are=20
gently placed, a device that seldom works.  Here they are perfect =
and help=20
to move the story forward.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>From the jolting =
last line of Act=20
I through nearly all of Act II, the author denies his audience any =
peace. =20
Now there are three characters left.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Hal, who by now has =
fallen in=20
love with Catherine, is played intensely and with a certain agreeable =
sentiment=20
by Chris Crimaldi.  Catherine's sister Claire insists on taking the =

disturbed Catherine back with her from her Chicago home to New York for =
some=20
care.  Maria Cornell plays the successful business-woman with an =
even=20
intelligence.  Claire's success and underlying jealousy of her =
father and=20
sister are nicely managed.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>And there is, of =
course,=20
Catherine, the central character.  In this role, the truly =
magnificent Miss=20
Appelbaum practically takes the theater home with her.  Here is a =
young=20
talent who will even do better work in the future if she stays with=20
it.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>It is difficult in =
a personal,=20
intense play such as "Proof" with this much stage talent to find what =
the=20
director has done or hasn't done.  In this case, director Kate =
Tonti has=20
surely cast the play well, and that's 90 percent of her job.  She =
might,=20
however, have taken Mr. Auburn's final moments and given them to us in =
the way=20
he intended.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>"Proof" is =
intelligent theater at=20
its very best, and proof, I may add, that rumors of the death of good =
theater=20
are decidedly premature.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
15.5pt"><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DArial>Fridays & Saturdays @ 8 PM</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
15.5pt"><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DArial>June 3rd =96 June 18th</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
15.5pt"><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DArial><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; =
mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt">56<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>River Street<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">    </SPAN>Chagrin Falls, =
Ohio=20
44022</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
15.5pt"><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DArial><SPAN class=3Dyellow12boldplain1><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; =
mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; =
mso-hansi-font-family: Arial">Box=20
Office: </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class=3Dcream121><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
10.5pt">(440)=20
247-8955</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
15.5pt"><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DArial><SPAN class=3Dyellow12boldplain1><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; =
mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; =
mso-hansi-font-family: Arial">Box=20
Office Hours:</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: windowtext"><FONT =
size=3D3>=20
</FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=3Dcream121><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
10.5pt">1 - 6=20
p.m. Monday =96 Saturday</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: =
15.5pt"><STRONG><FONT=20
face=3DArial><B><SPAN style=3D"COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: =
Arial"><FONT=20
size=3D3>Tickets<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">   =20
</SPAN>$8<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" =
/><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<P class=3Dbigyellow style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" =

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<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 =
size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#000080 size=3D2>Chris =
White<BR>Corporate=20
Controller<BR>M. Davis Management Services, Inc.<BR>32100 Solon =
Road  Suite=20
204<BR>Solon, OH =20
44139<BR>440-542-1724-Phone<BR>440-542-1726-Fax</FONT></EM></DIV></BODY><=
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