Proof by David Auburn

(*sigh*) Look, Catharine (beat) We could go through the proof together

but that might take days (beat) and it still wouldnt show that you
wrote it. (beat) Okay, heres my suggestion. I know three or four guys
at the department, very sharp, disinterested people who knew your
father, knew his work. Let me take this to them. Ill tell them Ive found
something, something potentially major, (beat, and slow down) were
not sure about the authorship; Ill sit down with them. Well go through
the thing carefully (beat) and figure out exactly what weve got. (beat)
Im not taking it. Im trying to determine what this is. (beat) ITS
YOUR FATHERS HANDWRITING. (Beat pained) At least it looks an awful
lot like the writing in the other books. Maybe your writing looks exactly
like his, I dont know.
it it doesnt matter. He could have dictated it to you, for Chris sake.
It still doesnt make sense.
Im a mathematician. I know how hard it would be to come up with
something like this. I mean its impossible. Youd have to be youd
have to be your dad, basically. Your dad at the peak of his powers. My
generation hasnt produced anything like him. He revolutionized the
field twice before he was twenty-two. Im sorry Catharine, but you took
some classes at Northwestern for a few months. This is too advanced. I
dont even understand most of it. You could not have done this work.