Preview: SFU’s PROOF cast details the process of the play
Front: Jack Weidner and Melinda Holena. Back: Jill Lepert and Jonathan Kirk.
The cast of Saint Francis University’s upcoming play, ‘Proof’, describes the process of preparing for the final showings of the play.
“It’s been great,” said freshman Biology major Jack Weidner. “There are only four people in the cast, so it’s really nice that we are producing [the play].”
Lindsay Carland, senior Exercise Physiology major, stands in as the director of the play. “This is my first time directing,” said Carland. “It’s something I have always wanted to do, but have never been able to.”
Associate Professor of Theatre F.J. Hartland stated that Carland has been stage manager for several productions and he noticed her interest in directing. “This is her last semester here at SFU, so it seemed like a good time to give her this opportunity.”
As a director, Carland stated that she faced many difficulties while prepping for the final production. One of those difficulties included selecting the cast. With only four actors, all of whom are freshmen, Carland found it rather stressful to pick a small selection of actors.
“Selecting the cast for the play was probably one of my biggest challenges,” said Carland. “There were so many talented individuals who auditioned, so it was difficult to only choose four.”
The cast consists of Melinda Holena, a Physician Assistant major, who plays the lead character Catherine. Catherine’s father, Robert, is played by Jack Weidner. Jill Lepert, a Nursing major, takes on the role of Catherine’s sister, Claire, and Jonathan Kirk, a Language Arts Education major, appears in the play as the character Hal, a mathematician.
The synopsis of the play, written by David Auburn, focuses on the main character, Catherine, and her attempt to solve a mathematical equation that her father, a renowned mathematician, was unable to solve. When finally cracking the code of the equation, she is faced with backlash from people stating that she did not solve the equation; that, instead, she stole the code from her father.
The Department of Fine Arts will showcase the play on March 22-24 at JFK auditorium. Thursday and Friday night showings start at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee showing on Saturday.
General admission is $5 at the door. Students and faculty members get in free of charge.
