NEED TO KNOW
- Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle make their Broadway debuts in the revival of David Auburn’s Proof
- Thomas Kail (Hamilton) directs
- Previews start March 31, 2026, with opening night April 16 at a Shubert theater to be announced
Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle are bringing their star power to the stage.
The actors — she, the Emmy-winning star of The Bear and he, the Oscar-nominated actor of Hotel Rwanda fame — will make their Broadway debuts next spring in the first Broadway revival of David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning play, Proof.
Directed by Hamilton’s Thomas Kail, the production begins previews at a Shubert theater to be announced on March 31, 2026. Opening night is set for April 16.
The revival’s creative team includes Academy Award- and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers, scenic designer Teresa L. Williams, Tony Award-winning costume designer Dede Ayite and lighting designer Amanda Zieve.
Ticket information and additional casting will be released in the coming weeks.
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Proof tells the story of a young woman navigating her late father’s mathematical genius and mental illness.
The play was an immediate hit when it first premiered Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in May 2000. It transferred to Broadway in October of that year, and ran at the Walter Kerr Theatre through January 2003.
Original stars Mary-Louise Parker and Larry Bryggman both earned Tony nominations for their performances, as did featured actors Ben Shenkman and Johanna Day. The play wound up winning three Tonys: Best Play, Best Actress for Parker, and Best Direction for David Sullivan.
The accolades continued later that year, when Proof was awarded the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
In 2005, a feature film adaptation starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins and Jake Gyllenhaal was released.
Edebiri has become one of Hollywood’s most versatile talents, acclaimed for her Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning performance as sous-chef Sydney on FX’s The Bear. The 29-year-old recently earned her third consecutive acting nomination and first directing nomination for the show’s third season.
She will star this fall in Luca Guadagnino’s new film, After the Hunt. Additional film and TV credits also include Inside Out 2, Bottoms, Theater Camp, Opus, Abbott Elementary, What We Do in the Shadows, and Big Mouth.
Cheadle is a celebrated actor, director, and producer. Known to a global audience for his role as James Rhodes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has appeared in acclaimed films including Boogie Nights, Hotel Rwanda, Crash and Miles Ahead — the latter which he also directed. Television credits include Picket Fences, House of Lies, Black Monday and The Wonder Years.
The Oscar nominee, two-time Golden Globe winner and 11-time Emmy nominee has also worked extensively on stage, making his New York debut in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog at the Public Theater in 2001. He’s appeared, too, regionally and Off-Broadway at the Guthrie, Goodman Theater and Shakespeare in the Park.
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