Catlin Gabel's Final Play of the Season Comes to a Close
By Dana Ellis '15
Ian '14 and Kallan '15 have an on stage father-daughter bonding moment in the Catlin Gabel production of Proof. (Photo: Jessica Barr).
Kallan '15 and Simon '15 share a moment on stage as lovebirds Hal and Catherine in the Catlin Gabel production of Proof. (Photo: Jessica Barr).
Sophie '16 and Kallan '15 playing sisters Claire and Catherine in the Catlin Gabel production of Proof. (Photo: Jessica Barr)
The curtain has closed on the final play of the season, Proof, by playwright David Auburn. Acting teacher Elizabeth Gibbs '04 directed the play, which stared four upper school students: Sophie '16, Ian '14, Kallan '15, and Simon '15.
Ian who starred as the deceased father in the play, reflected on his last acting experience at Catlin Gabel, "My last experience at Catlin has been hard. Not just because it's a super difficult play that we put on in a short time, but also accepting the fact that it is the last play I'm doing here. For all the ups and downs, I feel like I've improved immensely this past year."
The script had deep undertones about family and mental illness while still including humor, charm, and wit. Because of the amazing job of the actors and the strength of the script and directing, it was another one of the season's successful shows. The final show was a full house and the other nights were almost always full.
Ian said that the final night was his favorite, "The audience was absolutely incredible and had the perfect mix of knowing when to be loud and when to just listen." All of the actors seemed to enjoy themselves and crafting the characters to create a cohesive and unique interpretation of the play.
One of the other actors Sophie mentioned her experience after one of the shows, "A younger audience member got all of us to autograph her program." Along with experiences like this the actors bonded and became close friends while working together on this play.
Kallan said that her experiences during the show were, "unlike any other show that I've done before. The subject matter of the show is adult and emotionally exhausting, I feel really lucky that I was able to perform in such a mature play as a high school student – not many young actors have the opportunity to do that. Also, Elizabeth is an awesome director, who allowed me plenty of creative voice and gave me tons of specific, constructive notes."
Proof was not only the final show of this season but also the final performance at Catlin Gabel for Ian.