Stage Troupe finds ‘Proof’ in 60 years

After celebrating 60 years of performances last week, Stage Troupe kicked off their season Thursday night with the opening of David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize winning play ‘Proof.”

Stage Troupe is the oldest and largest theater group on campus, and continues to stay strong. The secret, ‘Proof’s’ cast and crew said, is the group’s strong sense of family.

‘I think Stage Troupe does a really great job of bringing actors and techies together,’ College of Communication sophomore and ‘Proof’s’ Hal, Quincy Wright said. ‘Everyone really wants to bring them into the inner circle and make them feel welcome, which is critical to success.’

‘Proof’s’ producer Kelly Gallagher, a College of Arts and Sciences and COM junior, said Stage Troupe allows anyone with a passion for the arts to join the group easily.

‘There is always something for someone to do and always things to get involved with,’ she said.

‘Proof’s’ Claire and CAS sophomore Margot Mache said Stage Troupe is for anyone who is interested in theater. The highlight of her time working with Stage Troupe the past two years has been the people she met, she said.’

‘The relationships you develop with others when working on a show is fantastic,’ Mache said.’ ‘

Gallagher said those involved are happy to teach newcomers in order to keep the group going strong.

CAS senior and Robert in ‘Proof’ Will Wheeler said he thinks ‘the level of democratic opportunity within the organization has made it so strong.’

Wheeler said he agrees that the strong sense of community has helped maintain Stage Troupe’s presence for so long.’

‘The emotional connection definitely strengthens a group that already has a strong foundation,’ he said.

David Auburn’s ‘Proof,’ directed by Ian Cohen and Arielle Adler, follows Catherine, a brilliant yet troubled young woman who must cope with her unstable mathematician father’s recent death, according to a script summary.’

In the following weekend, Catherine, played by COM sophomore Jennifer Isakowitz, must deal with her own emotions, her sister Claire’s concerns and the interests of her father’s former student Hal, according to the summary.

With only a porch for a set and a four-person cast, the play was largely character-driven. The ensemble took their curtain call with a standing ovation.

Wright said working in such a small group is his favorite way to perform, and working on ‘Proof’ especially allowed a sense of community to develop.

In addition to ‘Proof,’ Stage Troupe boasts seven main stage shows and various special projects, including two one-act festivals and 24-hour theater weekends each year, Gallagher said.