Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle to Make Broadway Debuts in Revival of 'Proof'

 

EMMY AWARD^® WINNER, SAG^®, & GOLDEN GLOBE^® AWARD WINNER

AYO EDEBIRI

Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle Set for Broadway Debuts in Revival of Proof

Two heavyweights are stepping onto the Broadway stage for the very first time. Emmy, SAG, and Golden Globe winner Ayo Edebiri and Academy Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner Don Cheadle will headline the first-ever New York revival of David Auburn’s Proof, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama. The production will be directed by Tony winner Thomas Kail (Hamilton, In the Heights) and produced by Kail and Mike Bosner.

ACADEMY AWARD^® NOMINEE & TWO-TIME GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER

DON CHEADLE

The strictly limited engagement begins previews on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with an official opening set for Thursday, April 16, 2026, at a Shubert Theatre still to be announced.

Proof first premiered at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000 before transferring to Broadway, where it scooped up three Tonys, including Best Play, and the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play, a sharp and emotional exploration of family, genius, and mental illness, has since been staged across the globe and was adapted into a 2005 film.

This revival marks a generational crossover moment: Edebiri, whose quick rise has made her one of Hollywood’s most magnetic performers, will play Catherine, the brilliant daughter of an equally brilliant but troubled mathematician, played by Cheadle. Together, they’ll bring fresh urgency to Auburn’s story of love, legacy, and the thin line between brilliance and breakdown.

The creative team includes original music by Academy Award and Emmy winner Kris Bowers, scenic design by Teresa L. Williams, costumes by Tony winner Dede Ayite, lighting by Amanda Zieve, and casting by Daniel Swee, CSA. Visual artist Alexis Franklin designed the production’s key art.

Key art and headshots of Edebiri and Cheadle are available at www.proofbroadway.com.

About the Artists

Ayo Edebiri (Catherine)

Actor, writer, director, comedian — Edebiri has been everywhere and winning at everything. She picked up an Emmy, a SAG, and a Golden Globe for her role as Sydney in FX’s The Bear, where she also made her directing debut. Her voice work in Pixar’s Inside Out 2 helped push the film to record-breaking box office numbers, and she’s stepping into Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt alongside Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield. Edebiri is one of the defining talents of her generation, shifting seamlessly between indie comedies (Bottoms, Theater Camp), prestige TV (Abbott Elementary, What We Do in the Shadows), and studio blockbusters. Broadway is the next frontier.

Don Cheadle (Robert)

Cheadle’s career is a masterclass in range. He’s taken home Golden Globes, racked up Emmy nods, earned an Oscar nomination for Hotel Rwanda, and left his mark on everything from Boogie Nights to Marvel’s Iron Man and Avengers films. Beyond acting, he directed and starred in Miles Ahead, his passion project on Miles Davis. On television, he’s anchored series like House of Lies, Black Monday, and The Wonder Years. Though no stranger to the stage—he starred in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog at the Public Theater—Proof marks his official Broadway debut.

David Auburn (Playwright)

Auburn’s Proof won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play in 2001, cementing its place as one of the most important works of its era. His other plays include Summer 1976 and The Columnist. In film, he’s written and directed projects such as The Girl in the Park and Georgetown. Auburn remains a force in American theater, teaching at Columbia and continuing to shape new work for stage and screen.

Thomas Kail (Director & Producer)

Kail knows how to make cultural history. He directed Hamilton, In the Heights, and Freestyle Love Supreme, and he’s got Tonys and a Kennedy Center Honor to show for it. On screen, he’s brought his touch to Fosse/Verdon, Hamilton on Disney+, and Hulu’s We Were the Lucky Ones. Kail pairs Broadway savvy with pop culture reach, making him the perfect choice to reintroduce Proof to a new audience.

Why Now

Reviving Proof in 2026 isn’t just about dusting off a Pulitzer Prize play. It’s about watching two cultural icons — one at the peak of her meteoric rise, the other redefining his fourth decade of artistry — collide with material that asks hard questions about genius, family, and what we inherit from those who came before us. At a moment when Broadway is being pushed to reflect the world outside its doors, this pairing of Edebiri and Cheadle feels less like casting and more like a statement.

Tickets and further casting announcements will follow in the coming weeks.

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