Over the weekend of November 18, 19, and 20, the Monmouth College Theatre Department opened their second major production of the 2022-23 academic year. The play, Proof, written by David Auburn, follows the story of Catherine (played by Hannah McGhee ‘26 and Molly White ‘25), a young woman who just lost her father, Catherine’s sister, Claire (Reese Hill ‘25 and Calista Lythgoe ‘26), who is manipulative of her younger sister and believes she knows what's best, and Harold (Colin Kreipe ‘26 and Eric Pio ‘26), who becomes an unexpected addition to the family during the duration of the show. The three characters all encircle the memory of Catherine and Claire’s late father, Robert (Professor Doug Rankin and Edrass Chavez ‘26), who makes flashback appearances throughout the show.
What’s unique about this production is that there was not one, but two casts, each directed by student directors. Meaning that there were two actors assigned to each role, each performing on different nights. Molly White, who played Catherine in “cast B” said “I feel very blessed. It was the first time I ever played a lead and being trusted with that was very empowering.”
Proof was directed by the students of THEA-377, Dani Lopez ‘24, Drew Cliffel ‘23, Zesty Lythgoe ‘24, Gabriela Madu ‘23, and Ryan Bowman ‘24. “It was a very fun experience and process,” said White. “We had a very tight knit cast and crew. Our student directors did an excellent job for their directorial debuts.” Proof closed on November 20, but the theatre department has two more major productions left for the rest of the year. Candida, a play for which auditions were just held this past Monday, November 28, will open on February 24. This year’s musical will also be The Little Mermaid, and that will open on April 20.
Mia Martino - Staff Writer