Enjoy
Related Photos
Discussion
Stone’s Throw tackles tough title
By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
Vicki Gail Dickey knew she had her work cut out for her. She hadn’t directed a play in years, and she had picked a tough title.
Yet she jumped at the chance to front a production of “Proof.” The play started its run at the Stone’s Throw Dinner Theater on Thursday and runs until March 28.
Written by David Auburn in 2000, actors such as Mary-Louise Parker, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Anne Heche and Neil Patrick Harris starred in it during its Broadway run. The play was made into a movie in 2005 starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins and Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie is what pushed Dickey over the edge to take on the challenge, she said.
“I had read the play, but never seen the movie,” Dickey said. “After I watched the movie, I thought that the play was so much better. Not to take anything away from the movie, but the play pops. It’s so emotional.”
“Proof” is the story of Catherine, the daughter of a recently deceased math professor, Robert, who suffered a lengthy mental illness. When one of Robert’s graduate students discovers a paradigm-changing, ground-breaking proof about prime numbers in his work, Catherine sets out to prove that it is her father’s work.
The play’s emotional tugs over parenthood and darkly comic turns make it compelling, Dickey said, even though it is far from the standard fare usually offered at a dinner theater. Themes of the play deal with caring for parents as they age -- a subject matter some may not want to face, she said.
But Dickey’s excitement over the story and acting skills of the cast make “Proof” a can’t-miss production, she said.
The actor that first popped into her mind agreed to take on the lead role. Rachel Stanley, who graduated from Missouri Southern State University alongside Dickey, plays the part of Catherine. Shelley Wilson, a drama teacher in Carthage, is also part of the cast.
“With the people we have portraying the characters, the audience is going to get an amazing performance,” Dickey said.
Stanley, Wilson, Doug Dickey and Mike Smith comprise the cast of the play.
Want to go?
“Proof” runs today, tomorrow and March 26 to 28. Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner begins at 6:30 and the show begins at 7:30. Start times for the matinee on Sunday, March 28 are 12:30 p.m. for doors to open, 1 p.m. for dinner and 2 p.m. for the show.
Tickets: $22, $19 for seniors, $10 for children younger than 18. Details: 417-358-9665.
- Enjoy
-
-
Cruise-ins a popular summertime activity across region
It’s hard to get through a weekend without coming across a car show or cruise-in -- unless you spend the entire weekend inside. Cruise-ins are a summer staple that are so popular that they extend through late fall in Southwest Missouri.
-
Exhibit to feature young artists
In a first for Carthage’s famed artCentral, the latest exhibit of art pieces will have a youthful feel to it.
-
Kids dominate stage in SGT play
Directing children in performance is sometimes viewed as a difficult task. Wendy Istas sees it as a privilege.
-
Benji Tunnell: 'Inception' shines among summer duds
“Inception” is a tricky film to describe; it’s densely plotted and layered. If I gave too many details, I would either spoil parts of the film or confuse you. It is a complicated story about a complicated subject, yet it is handled masterfully by its creator.
-
Joe Hadsall, Geeked Out: ‘Inception’ earns its buzz
It’s not often that a movie lives up to the hype, but “Inception” does it. It’s been called the best movie of the summer, the summer’s only great adult movie, the next big thing in sci-fi, the next “Matrix” and more. It’s all true. Go see it. Now.
Skip work if you have to. I’ll hook you up with a convincing fake doctor’s note, if you need it. -
Jeremiah Tucker: Major Lazer, Robyn shine at Pitchfork
Here are some reflections from the three-day 2010 Pitchfork Music Festival that took place last weekend in Chicago.
-
Lee Duran: Gears' tale of de Soto surprising, pleasing
Sometimes a book can surprise you. When I’ve read it and am still thinking about it a week later, I’m very surprised, not to mention pleased.
-
Dave Woods: Lodging options abound in Branson
Choosing the right accommodations depends on what you plan to do, how deep your pockets are and how deep you’re willing to dig. Branson offers hundreds of different lodging options including hotels, motels, camping, condos and cabins.
-
Lee Duran: Book tells story between MacArthur, Truman
When President Barack Obama fired Gen. Stanley McCrystal for talking when he should have been listening, it reminded me of another general who suffered the same fate.
-
Jeremiah Tucker: Beach makes comeback in recent releases
As blog fodder foisted on the Internet by a corporation to increase brand visibility goes, “All Summer” is pretty good.
- More Enjoy Headlines
-
