Proof

By David Auburn
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play

On the back porch of a quiet Chicago home, a brilliant young woman stands on the edge of a discovery that could change the world—and a breakdown that could destroy her life. After years caring for her genius father, a renowned mathematician battling mental illness, Catherine is left to confront the most dangerous equation of all: can she trust herself?

When her sister returns and a former student uncovers a groundbreaking mathematical proof, questions of authorship, inheritance, and truth threaten to tear the family apart. Is Catherine a genius in her own right—or has she inherited something far more fragile?

Proof is a moving, sharply written exploration of family, trust, and the fine line between brilliance and madness. A modern classic that asks:
What do we inherit—and what do we choose to believe?