Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle Try to Solve a Precise but Passionless Proof

Proof is so structurally sound that any production can have an impact, which is both a gift in theory and a potential liability in practice. Both sides of that equation are why Thomas Kail’s current Broadway revival at the Booth Theatre is generally effective, but rarely as emotionally charged as it should be. It is rock-solid in its competence, which is ideal for the newcomers in attendance to see stars Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle up close. But those who know how thrilling this play could be will find themselves wishing for Kail to have done anything to test the play’s mathematical precision.