The Tony-winning play returns to Broadway in a star-studded revival directed by Thomas Kail.

Proof review: Ayo Edebiri plus Don Cheadle equals an intriguing Broadway revival of Tony-winning play

The Tony-winning play returns to Broadway in a star-studded revival directed by Thomas Kail.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.

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April 16, 2026 10:00 p.m. ET

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Don Cheadle and Ayo Edebiri in 'Proof'. Credit:

Upon entering the Booth Theater for a performance of *Proof*, theatergoers are greeted by the warm patio light of a quaint, lived-in backyard on a crystal clear evening. The back facade of the two-story home is so perfectly perfunctory that it feels almost familiar, with its hardwood deck, plastic outdoor furniture, and even a tipped-over pot in the shape of a cat peeking out from the grass below. But don’t get lulled into a sense of ease — despite its idyllic atmosphere, the conversations, arguments, and events that unfold over the course of the *Proof*’s two hour and 15 minute runtime are anything but ordinary.

More than two decades after the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play first debuted on Broadway, David Auburn’s rumination on genius, legacy, and complicated family dynamics has returned to the Great White Way for the first time ever in an intriguing revival led by Emmy winners Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle. While it may take the production a moment to fully kick into gear, *Proof*’s effective performances from its four-member cast will keep theatergoers engrossed in all of its mathematical complexities and human eccentricities until the very end.

The play, which was also adapted into a 2005 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins, follows Catherine (Edebiri), a young woman who dropped out of college to take care of her mathematics wunderkind and University of Chicago professor dad Robert (Cheadle) after he began to suffer from an undisclosed mental illness. When he dies just a week before her 25th birthday, it prompts the arrival of Catherine’s successful older sister Claire (two-time Tony winner Kara Young) as well as one of Robert’s former students, Hal (Jin Ha).

While Claire is attempting to arrange her father’s funeral and convince Catherine to move with her to New York City, Hal is digging through Robert’s office in search of any groundbreaking material that the late mastermind left behind. He’s overjoyed when he uncovers a journal containing a proof that completely redefines what the world knows about prime numbers… until Catherine claims ownership of the work instead of her late father. When Hal and Claire doubt her, Catherine is forced to confront how far she’ll go to prove herself to her friends, family, and the male-dominated mathematics field — and if it’s even worth it to do so.

Kara Young and Ayo Edebiri.

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Edebiri, in her Broadway debut, brings forth a winning performance as Catherine. It's clear that she sees the character's many contradictions and embraces them wholeheartedly, often taking casual conversations and turning them on their head with a perfectly-timed cutting remark that makes the entire theater hold their breaths. Still, she remains playful in her portrayal of the flawed young woman too, managing to bring a real youthfulness and vulnerability to her too — especially when paired opposite Young and Cheadle. For all of her tough exterior, Edebiri succeeds in making Catherine a character that you're aware is far from perfect, and yet you can't help rooting for regardless.

Cheadle, also making his Broadway debut in the production, is tasked with the difficult role of playing a memory. Robert, his illness, and his genius haunt Catherine and the narrative throughout *Proof*, but the character itself appears only in late-night imagined heart-to-hearts and flashback sequences that showcase an ailing man fearful of losing his mind and his daughter again. Cheadle’s portrayal is filled with sparks of genius — especially when going toe-to-toe with Edebiri in the second half — but theatergoers may find themselves wishing that he’d taken his depiction of the masterful mathematician just one step further to really highlight the turmoil within him.

Jin Ha and Ayo Edebiri.

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And then there’s Young. The actress, who took over the role just last month after Samira Wiley departed the production due to illness, is an absolute scene stealer every single second that she stands upon the Booth Theatre stage. Outrageously funny one moment and then deeply weary in the way that only an older sister can be the next, she makes Claire's uphill battle to take care of her resentful younger sister feel both sympathetic and relatable. Her mix of physical comedy, well-timed quips, and heartbreaking reveals must be seen to be believed.

And last, but certainly not least: Hal. The character plays an ambiguous role within *Proof* — it’s clear he holds reverence for Robert and Catherine, but uncovering a mathematical breakthrough in the late professor’s journals would also benefit his career, too. Because of that, it’s hard to place exactly where Hal’s allegiances lie — a gray area that Ha expertly plays within, portraying him as both a lovesick puppy and a pompous mathematician who belittles Catherine’s intelligence. Thankfully, Ha’s earnest take helps the audience to forgive his many transgressions.

Ayo Edebiri, Don Cheadle and Jin Ha.

The quartet are stewarded through the production by director Thomas Kail (*Hamilton*), who eventually gets the play moving at a steady pace following a glacial opening scene. It’s not the only moment within the play that felt long in the tooth — there are multiple instances in which a scene felt like it was coming to a natural conclusion, only to have a character stop another just as they were leaving the backyard for another long-winded conversation. That being said, once *Proof*’s plot does start moving, it is easy to get sucked into the action unfolding in the backyard.

And it is a solid backyard! Scenic designer Teresa L. Williams and lighting designer Amanda Zieve succeed in creating a rich and inviting space for the actors to bring out the best and worst of their respective characters. Zieve’s use of light, which glows across the rooftop in between scenes, was also particularly effective, especially when combined with Oscar winner Kris Bowers' moving original music for the production.

*Proof* may not have the solutions to all of the problems that it presents, but it's safe to say they're in safe hands courtesy of its solid cast. **Grade: B**

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