The Eastern New Mexico University theater department opens its last performance of the semester tonight with the play “Proof,” to be performed at 7 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at the University Theatre Center.
The show has two separate casts for the performance.
In the story, Catherine and Claire are dealing with the aftermath of losing their father, Robert, who was a mathematical genius but also a man plagued by mental health issues, such as schizophrenia.
Both sisters also struggle with the fact that Catherine shows signs of taking after her father with mental health issues.
“Claire’s been away for a while. She left and went to school and started her life,” said Sydney Henderson, 20, who plays Claire for the Thursday and Saturday night performances, as well as the Sunday matinee. She added that Claire tries to get Catherine to come live with her now that their father has passed, so she can keep an eye on her.
Henderson and Raquel Valenzuela, 19, who plays Catherine, said they connected with the sisterly bond of their characters, relating to how the two characters were close but also clash at times.
“I feel like Catherine kind of had a setback, because she had to take care of her dad for so long, so she never got to continue her life and never got what Claire got, so she kind of wishes she could have had what Claire had,” said Valenzuela.
Joe Miller, 22, plays Hal, a student of Robert and a love interest for Catherine.
“My character I really connect with because he’s someone who has very high ambitions, but yet he kind of feels like he falls short, especially compared to the father (Robert), his hero,” he said.
Film professor Jon Barr, who plays the father, Robert, in all six performances said there is also the dynamic of the two girls finding something that could be mathematically groundbreaking in their father’s belongings.
“It won a Pulitzer Prize; it’s brilliant writing,” Barr said of the production. “There’s a lot of psychological drama and a good amount of mystery. I think there’s deeper meaning underneath the surface about certain things like predetermination and creation – the idea of ‘is our destiny mathematically determined or is it something we have the possibility of changing?’”
The three ENMU students said that this will be their first time to act in a performance.
“Going through this whole process, we’ve all become very close,” said Miller.
“Like a little family,” Henderson added.
On Wednesday and Sunday nights and the Saturday matinee, Brendan Moore will play Hal; McKayla Westfall will play Catherine and Kay Ewing will play Claire.

  Alisha Boswell