Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle to Star in Broadway Revival of Proof

Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle will star in the first-ever New York revival of David Auburn’s Proof, directed by Hamilton Tony winner Thomas Kail. The limited engagement will begin previews on March 31, 2026 and officially open on April 16 at a Shubert theater to be announced.

Winner of the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Proof is a story of love, legacy and logic. Set in Chicago, it follows Catherine, the brilliant but emotionally guarded daughter of a recently deceased mathematician. When a groundbreaking mathematical proof is discovered among his papers, Catherine must prove her authorship and confront what she may have inherited, both intellectually and psychologically.

Edebiri will take on the role of Catherine. She won an Emmy, SAG, and Golden Globe Award for her performance as Sydney in FX’s The Bear, and recently earned her third acting Emmy nomination and her first directing nomination for the series. Her screen credits include Inside Out 2, Bottoms, Theater Camp, Abbott Elementary, What We Do In The Shadows and Big Mouth. This fall, she stars in After the Hunt opposite Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield.

Cheadle will play Robert, Catherine’s father. The actor, who earned an Oscar nomination for Hotel Rwanda has a wide-ranging career across film, television and theater. His credits include Boogie Nights, Crash, Miles Ahead, the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy, and a long run as James “Rhodey” Rhodes (a.k.a. War Machine) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On television, he’s starred in House of Lies, Black Monday and The Wonder Years. Cheadle made his New York stage debut in Topdog/Underdog at the Public Theater in 2001 and has also performed at the Guthrie, Shakespeare in the Park and Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.

Proof will feature original music by Kris Bowers, scenic design by Teresa L. Williams, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Amanda Zieve and casting by Daniel Swee. Baseline Theatrical serves as general manager.

Proof premiered off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000 before transferring to Broadway, where it ran for more than 900 performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre. In 2005, Auburn adapted the play into a feature film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenaal and Hope Davis.