Natalie DiCristofano & Robert Sandy Elias/Photo: Scott L. Schoonover
One of the most widely produced plays in recent history, “Proof” still hasn’t seen a Chicago production in four years. Chicago Fusion Theatre ends the streak with this all-new staging of the Hyde Park-set play, allowing a brand new audience to laugh at in-jokes about Evanston and local microbrews.
The prodigal daughter of a renowned yet mad mathematician, Catherine is left to sift through the 103 notebooks her father left after his death. Her sister Claire has flown in from New York for the funeral, and a former student of their father’s seems to be digging for his own piece of the intellectual treasure trove.
Scenic designer Scott L. Schoonover replaces the iconic front porch with an incomprehensible abstract set on which characters are constantly scribbling math formulas. Never exactly sure of where they are, the actors nevertheless turn in some fine work, with the glaring exception of company member Nilsa Reyna as Claire. A heartfelt yet uneven rendering. (Neal Ryan Shaw)
Chicago Fusion Theatre at the Royal George Theatre, 3rd Floor Gallery Theatre, 1641 North Halsted, (312)988-9000. Through November 14.
