DOWAGIAC — Inside the Beckwith Theatre Tuesday evening, three individuals stood on the stage and argued over the contents of a black and white composition notebook.

Though the book was small, its ramifications were huge, and in the scene that followed, family and romantic relationships were tested as the characters searched to prove themselves to one another.

The scene will be shown as part of “Proof,” the Beckwith Theatre’s newest play opening Friday. The play will run for two consecutive weekends until June 16. Show times will be at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $15. The theater is located at 100 New York Ave., Dowagiac.

The play is being sponsored by Indian Hills Golf Course and Oil Can Alley. During Friday’s opening performance, there will be a wine reception hosted by St. Julian Winery. On June 14, there will be a second Friday beer reception sponsored by The Livery.

“Proof,” written by David Auburn, was originally released in 2000. The play follows Catherine, a young woman who has spent years caring for her unstable father, Robert, who was a famous mathematician. Following Robert’s death, Catherine is left to deal with her own complicated emotions, her relationship with her sister, Claire, and the attention of one of her father’s students, Hal. But most significantly, she must deal with the discovery of groundbreaking math — a proof — found in one of Robert’s notebooks — that Catherine claims she wrote herself.

“It’s a very intense, character-driven play,” said director Andi Creasbaum. “It’s a lot of very real family stuff. … It’s all very real, very human stuff. There is a reason [the play] won a Pulitzer. There’s a reason it won a Tony. It’s written really well.”

Creasbaum said she had been a fan of “Proof” for some time because it allows the audience to become well acquainted with the characters. Calling the play “a painting with words,” Creasbaum said the play is able to set the scene and convey emotions through its dialog deftly.

“We could have done with a black box — no set — and it would have been just as effective,” she said. “This is not about the set. It is not about the costumes or the effects or the pageantry. It’s about the relationships that the characters have with each other.”

Because the play is about family relationships and rooted in reality, Creasbaum said she believes that audience members will be able to relate to the situations and emotions portrayed in the show. She said that she would encourage audiences to attend the play to challenge themselves and to reflect on their own familial relationships.

“I think that it is something that is a little different,” Creasbaum said. “It’s an interesting slice of life for people to watch and enjoy. … Even if you aren’t a math geek, you will understand it because it’s deeper than that — it’s deeper than everything. It’s blood.”