By Ashley Escobar
Editor-in-Chief
The Amarillo College Theatre Arts Program is set to perform the Pulitzer and Tony award-winning play, “Proof,” a drama about the relationship between mental illness and truth. There are four chances to see “Proof” live in AC’s Experimental Theatre on the Washington Street Campus, at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5-7 and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Proof, which will consist of a four-person cast, tells a story of a family that deals with a mathematical mystery, love and the battles of mental health. “It’s a poignant story because it deals with issues of familial structure, dysfunction amongst family, but also with mental illness, which at a time we weren’t really discussing quite out loud as we do now,” Ray Newburg, program coordinator for Theatre Arts, said.
Catherine, daughter of the mathematician struggling with his mental state, is played by Theatre Performance major, Brooklyn Pruitt. She said that as an actor, playing characters has allowed her to step into someone else’s shoes and find an escape in the world of someone else.
“I find the mental state of the character challenging but easy to relate because my father passed away when I was 16, and I use that memory of him to build my interpretation of Catherine,” Pruitt said. “She’s almost the opposite of me, but similar in many ways.”
Being a small cast, the rehearsal process has been said to be a challenge in many ways, but also one that Brionna Todd, a general dramatics major, who plays Claire in “Proof,” said that is worth anybody’s time to watch. “My favorite memories during this show are of spending time with my friends together after rehearsal,” Todd said. “Having such a small cast has caused us to become pretty tight-knit. I like the camaraderie between castmates.”
Theatre major, Isael Melendez, plays Catherine’s love interest and said he fell in love with his character’s role when he read the script. “I think from my experience, what I’ve seen is as you get older, people start to realize how interesting and fun theater is, and it’s not like a weird thing,” Melendez said. “I think it’s a good way to get an understanding of people who are really into theater and why they like to pursue that.”
Pruitt said she believes that this performance is not only important because of the entertainment it gives, but also the message. “You’ll never know if someone in the audience needed to hear a message through what we perform and hopefully change their life,” Pruitt said. “I think the beauty of theatre is being able to get lost in a story or change perspective on events or thoughts about certain things. Theatre is an outlet to allow people to be creative and use their imagination. “Proof” isn’t just amazing performances by the cast and crew, but it sends a message of allowing yourself to reach your fullest potential and be someone great.”
Newburg said that it is important to keep the art of theatre alive and be reminded of the possibilities it gives society. “I think it’s important because we frequently need to be reminded about who we are as human beings,” Newburg said. “When we get the chance to observe human behavior that is familiar, that is helpful in defining who we are as a society and theatre is a great reflection of that. It helps people see what is good, bad and ugly.”
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and AC employees. They can be purchased online or at the door.
Leave a Reply