Download post-show discussion questions and activities

POST-SHOW
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
AND
ACTIVITIES
WITH ALIGHNMENTS TO THE COMMON CORE CURRUICULUM STANDARDS
Created by McCarter Theatre Education and Engagement. 2013.
POST-SHOW MATERIALS
ALIGNMENT TO THE COM
COMMON
MON CORE CURRICULUM AND CORE CURRICULUM
CONTENT STANDARDS
Our production of Proof and the activities outlined in this guide are designed to enrich your students’ postshow educational experience by addressing many Reading, Writing, and Speaking and Listening Common
Core anchor standards as well as specific New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Visual and
Performing Arts. (Click on the titles below to be linked to the activities.)
PROOF: PERFORMANCE REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and
collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Visual and Performing Arts 1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies: All students will
demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance,
music, theatre, and visual art.
ADDITIONAL PROOF POST-SHOW QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION POINTS.
Directorial Reflections on Proof and Your Experience
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and
collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Visual and Performing Arts 1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies: All students will
demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance,
music, theatre, and visual art.
Now Take the Director’s Chair
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Visual and Performing Arts 1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies: All students will
demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance,
music, theatre, and visual art.
MORE PROOF: THE NEXT SCENE OR THE SEQUEL
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
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Created by the McCarter Theatre, 2013.
POST-SHOW MATERIALS
PROOF: WRITING THE REVIEW.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Visual and Performing Arts 1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies: All students will
demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance,
music, theatre, and visual art.
REVIEWING THE REVIEWS.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and
collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
Visual and Performing Arts 1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies: All students will
demonstrate and apply an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance,
music, theatre, and visual art.
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Created by the McCarter Theatre, 2013.
POST-SHOW MATERIALS
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Use the following questions and activities as a means for students to evaluate their experience of the performance of Proof, as well as to encourage their own imaginative and artistic response. Consider also that some of
the pre-show activities might enhance your students’ appreciation of both the play and its playwright postperformance.
PROOF IN PERFORMANCE: INITIAL REACTIONS.
On the bus returning from the theatre, have the students write down 5 words to describe the feelings and thoughts
they have about the production they just saw.
For homework, ask students to elaborate on two of their chosen words either as a journaling assignment, a schoolbased online forum, or via social media, using #thinkPROOF.
PROOF : PERFORMANCE REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION.
In the next class meeting following their attendance at the performance of Proof, ask your students to reflect on
the questions below. You might choose to have them answer each individually or you may divide students into
groups for round-table discussions. Have them consider each question, record their answers, and then share
their responses with the rest of the class.
Questions to Ask Your Students about the Play in Production

What was your overall reaction to David Auburn’s Proof? Did you find the production compelling? Stimulating? Intriguing? Challenging? Memorable? Confusing? Evocative? Bizarre?
Unique? Delightful? Meaningful? Explain your reactions.

What themes of the play especially stood out in production? [Themes might include: The complexity of family dynamics/relationships (i.e., sibling-sibling, parent-child); sibling rivalry and
other conflicts between siblings; the link or connection between genius and madness; inheritance, or the things we inherit from our parents; the impact of mental illness on the mentally ill,
their caretakers, and families; gender bias and sexism in the field of mathematics; the significance of trust in relationships; and the power of love.] What themes were made even more
apparent or especially provocative in production/performance? Explain your responses.

Is there a moment in the play that specifically resonated with you either intellectually or emotionally? Which moment was it and why do you think it affected you?

Describe the pace and tempo of the production (e.g., slow, fast, varied). Did it feel like the
pace of the production matched the inherent tempo of the story and/or was suited to the style
of the play? Why or why not?
Questions to Ask Your Students about the Characters
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
Did you personally identify with any of the characters in Proof? Who? Why? If no, why not?

What character did you find most interesting or engaging? Why were you intrigued or attracted
to this particular character?

What qualities were revealed by the actions/objectives, speech, and physicalization of the
characters?

Did any characters develop or undergo a transformation during the course of the play? Who?
How? Why?

In what ways did the characters reveal the themes of the play? Explain your responses.
Created by the McCarter Theatre, 2013.
POST-SHOW MATERIALS
Questions to Ask Your Students about the Style and Design of the Production

Was there a moment in Proof that was so compelling, intriguing, or engaging that it remains
with you in your mind’s eye? Write a vivid description of that moment. As you write your
description, pretend that you are writing about the moment for someone who was unable to
experience the performance.

How did the overall production style and design suit the story, inform the characters, and
reflect the central themes of Proof? Explain your response.

How did the style and design elements of the production (e.g., sets, costumes, lighting,
sound, original music), unified under the directorial vision of Emily Mann, enhance the
performance? Did anything specifically stand out to you? Explain your reactions.

What did you notice about Eugene Lee’s scenic design? Did it provide an appropriate and/or
evocative setting for the story of Proof? How and why, or why not?

What mood, atmosphere, or impact did Stephen Strawbridge’s lighting design establish and/
or achieve? Explain your experience of the lighting of the play.

What did you notice about the costumes, designed by Jennifer von Mayrhauser, worn by the
actors? What do you think were the artistic and practical decisions that went into the
conception of the costumes?

What did you notice about Mark Bennett’s sound design? Can you remember what you
heard and describe it in words? How did Bennett’s work serve in creating or enhancing the
world of the play?
ADDITIONAL PROOF POST-SHOW QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION POINTS
Directorial Reflections on Proof and Your Experience.
There are so many fascinating elements within the script, but David has managed to
convey the story simply, in a way that seems effortless. It’s a father-daughter play and a
love story. It’s a play about a young woman who’s trying to find her way and the terror
that brilliance may come with a terrible cost. Wanting love, having to take care of an
elderly parent—there are a number of themes that are present in so many people’s lives.
And it’s a sister play. Whatever way you enter the play, you’ll have a satisfying emotional
experience. It’s complex and smartly written, but also very accessible.
… I’m very interested in all of the relationships—Catherine and Claire, Hal and Catherine,
Hal and Claire, Catherine and her father—there are so many different dynamics! I’m also
interested in the difference between past and present. The older I get the more I don’t
see a division between the two. In my earlier years I’d be thinking about the scenes in the
script that occur in the past and dwell on what they might mean and what the lighting
would be. Now I’m very relaxed about that. We’ll see! It’s all about the actors at the end
of the day.
—Emily Mann
Share with your students the above reflections on Proof by director Emily Mann and then use her
thoughts and feelings as a springboard for your own discussion about the play’s story, themes, central
journey, relationships, and the way it employs time. Questions for discussion may include:

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Emily Mann refers to Proof both as a simply conveyed story and as “complex and
smartly written” play. Are these ideas contradictory? In what ways is the story of
Proof simple? And in what ways is the play complex?
Created by the McCarter Theatre, 2013.
POST-SHOW MATERIALS

How do you think the story of Proof is best described or categorized? As a fatherdaughter play? A love story? A sister play? Why specifically? What other
categories or descriptors might also be valid?

How did you “enter the play?” Through a particular character or theme? What
character or theme was it and why did you feel particularly drawn in to him, her, or it?

How would you describe Catherine’s journey as a character in Proof? How does she
begin the play? What is it that happens to her? What does she want in the course
of the play? What stands in her way? How is she transformed or to what new
understanding does she come to by the play’s end?

Which character relationships/dynamics did you find the most interesting or
compelling and why?

What do you think about the scenes in Proof that occur in the past? Why do you
think Auburn employs those dramatic flashbacks? What do they mean or how do
they serve or inform the action of the play that occurs in the present?

What do you think Mann means by “It’s all about the actors at the end of the day?”
Do you agree with her?
Now Take the Director’s Chair.
Have students speed research the role and duties of the director in a theatrical production. [These should
include script interpretation, collaborating with the design team, casting, staging, actor coaching,
coordinating the elements of production.]
Next break student up into small groups and ask them to discuss their answers to the following question
within their group:

If you directed Proof, are there decisions would you have made differently from Emily
Mann in terms of interpretation or conceptualization of the play, design, casting,
staging, actor’s choices, or design choices?
Then bring the class back together as a whole and have each group share and compare their responses.
MORE PROOF: THE NEXT SCENE OR THE SEQUEL
Ask your students to recall the final scene in Proof and then have them consider what might happen next If
they were to continue the play where David Auburn left off, how would Act 3, Scene 1of Proof begin? Or Act
1, Scene 1 of the sequel? Then ask them to write that scene.
Before they put pen or pencil to paper or hand to keyboard, have them brainstorm the following:

Where does this scene take place?

How much time has passed since the previous scene?

Which characters does the scene reunite?

What might the characters want in the immediate moment for themselves or from the
others? What obstacles exist?

Is there anything with the characters? Any significant object?
Then have students write their scenes. Once completed these scenes can be shared as simple readings or
they can be put up on their feet, rehearsed, and performed as script in hand presentations.
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Created by the McCarter Theatre, 2013.
POST-SHOW MATERIALS
After all scenes are read or presented, ask the class to consider share what scenes or dramatic content
stood out most to them and why.
PROOF: WRITING THE REVIEW.
Have your students take on the role of theater critic by writing a review of the McCarter Theatre production of
Proof. A theater critic or reviewer is essentially a “professional audience member,” whose job is to provide
reportage of a play’s production and performance through active and descriptive language for a target
audience of readers (e.g., their peers, their community, or those interested in the arts). Critics/reviewers
analyze the theatrical event to provide a clearer understanding of the artistic ambitions and intentions of a play
and its production; reviewers often ask themselves, “What is the playwright and this production attempting to
do?” Finally, the critic offers personal judgment as to whether the artistic intentions of a production were
achieved, effective and worthwhile. Things to consider before writing:

Student reviewers may want to use words generated from the “Initial Reactions” exercise.

Theater critics/reviewers always back up their opinions with reasons, evidence and details.

The elements of production that can be discussed in a theatrical review are the play text or script (and
its themes, plot, characters, etc.), scenic elements, costumes, lighting, sound, music, acting and
direction (i.e., how all of these elements are put together). [See Theater Reviewer’s Checklist.]

Educators may want to provide their students with sample theater reviews—of productions other than
Proof—from a variety of newspapers.

Encourage your students to submit their reviews to the school newspaper for publication. And ask
them to email them to us at [email protected].
REVIEWING THE REVIEWS.
Have your students research online for theatrical reviews of McCarter’s production of Proof. Once a
number of reviews have been culled from online, break students up in to pairs and ask them to analyze
and critique the review both for their critical perspective and for their quality of writing.
In addition to asking students to consider whether they agree or disagree with the reviewers opinions, ask
them to consider:

Did the reviewer use active and descriptive language? What words or phrases
particularly stood out in the review?

Did the reviewer consider/discuss all of the elements of production (i.e., scenic elements,
costumes, lighting, sound, music, acting and direction)? If the reviewer didn’t, why do
you think they decided not to critique that aspect of the production?

Did the reviewer seem to understand and articulate the artistic ambitions and intentions
of the play in production and provide a personal judgment as to whether or not the
production succeeded, was effective, and/or worthwhile?
Then discuss the reviews as a class and ask teams to offer up examples of both effective and not so
effective review writing.
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Created by the McCarter Theatre, 2013.