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Proof of Love
Constance thought she had a happy life and a loving husband. Suddenly, a tragic accident splinters her upper-class black family—and forces Constance to face uncomfortable truths about her marriage and herself. Proof of Love is the explosive, funny, and moving new one-woman play by Chisa Hutchinson, member of the first class of talent supported by the Audible Playwrights Fund.
Playwright Chisa Hutchinson was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop Proof of Love.
Written by Chisa Hutchinson
Performed by Brenda Pressley
Directed by Jade King Carroll
Sound Design by Justin Ellington
Playwright Chisa Hutchinson was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop Proof of Love.
Written by Chisa Hutchinson
Performed by Brenda Pressley
Directed by Jade King Carroll
Sound Design by Justin Ellington
Audio CD
First published July 24, 2019
About the author
Chisa Hutchinson
12 books22 followersMs. Hutchinson (B.A. Vassar College; M.F.A. NYU - Tisch School of the Arts) has happily presented her plays Dirt Rich, She Like Girls, This Is Not the Play, Sex on Sunday, Tunde's Trumpet, The Subject, Mama's Gonna Buy You, Somebody's Daughter, Alondra Was Here, and Dead and Breathing at such venues as the Lark Play Development Center, SummerStage, Atlantic Theater Company, Working Man's Clothes Productions, the BE Company, Partial Comfort Productions, Mad Dog Theater Company, the Wild Project, Rattlestick Theater, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the South Orange Performing Arts Center, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, and the Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey. She has been a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a Lark Fellow, a Resident at the William Inge Center for the Arts, a New York NeoFuturist and a staff writer for the Blue Man Group, and is currently a fourth-year member of New Dramatists. Chisa has won a GLAAD Award, the John Golden Award for Excellence in Playwriting, a Lilly Award, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, the Paul Green Award, a Helen Merrill Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and has been a finalist for the highly coveted PoNY Fellowship. A recent foray into screenwriting won her Best Narrative Short at the Sonoma International Film Festival. Most recently, she was a Humanitas Fellow and Resident Playwright at Second Stage Theater in NYC. To learn more, visit www.chisahutchinson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
July 7, 2019
This audible original play written by Chisa Hutchison is powerfully crafted. It’s a great artistic piece.
Now on to the story. The first half of this made me laugh so hard and snap my fingers in “wooo, yesss” resonance. I loved that first half. The wife was aware, snazzy, strong, and full of esteem.
The second half falls into the typical Black woman model of self-recrimination, blanket forgiveness, self doubt, and acceptance. I did not enjoy seeing the wife take responsibility for her husband and his issues and her daughter and her issues.
Can we stop being mules?! Can Black authors stop romanticising poverty, the ghetto, poor speech, and philandering Black men? There isn’t growth in doing so. The self-flagellation is a complete turn off.
The wife’s mistake was trying to raise someone up. I wish she’d realised that. She married someone who wasn’t a fit. What transpired was just the manifestation of such.
I have much more to say, but I’ll still accord that stars for the artistry that is this audible and for the first, hilarious half of this one-woman play.
Also, the narrator, Brenda Pressely, is amazing!
Now on to the story. The first half of this made me laugh so hard and snap my fingers in “wooo, yesss” resonance. I loved that first half. The wife was aware, snazzy, strong, and full of esteem.
The second half falls into the typical Black woman model of self-recrimination, blanket forgiveness, self doubt, and acceptance. I did not enjoy seeing the wife take responsibility for her husband and his issues and her daughter and her issues.
Can we stop being mules?! Can Black authors stop romanticising poverty, the ghetto, poor speech, and philandering Black men? There isn’t growth in doing so. The self-flagellation is a complete turn off.
The wife’s mistake was trying to raise someone up. I wish she’d realised that. She married someone who wasn’t a fit. What transpired was just the manifestation of such.
I have much more to say, but I’ll still accord that stars for the artistry that is this audible and for the first, hilarious half of this one-woman play.
Also, the narrator, Brenda Pressely, is amazing!
July 27, 2019
3.5 stars
An Audible selection for the month of July and just 1hr 6mins in length,Brenda Pressley performs this one woman monologue with a beautiful amount of emotional pitch. Constance weaves the tale of her courtship, marriage, and the startling revelation that her husband was less than perfect. It was a good listen.
Goodreads review published 27/07/19
An Audible selection for the month of July and just 1hr 6mins in length,Brenda Pressley performs this one woman monologue with a beautiful amount of emotional pitch. Constance weaves the tale of her courtship, marriage, and the startling revelation that her husband was less than perfect. It was a good listen.
Goodreads review published 27/07/19
October 30, 2019
A riveting one-person audio play.
July 22, 2019
Here are two people, from different backgrounds, drawn together by love. A terrible accident occurs and causes one of them to review things about themselves, their marriage, & their issues.
The main character, Clarissa, shows us the multiple sides you go through when facing a situation and you get blindsided. You can feel the emotion flowing throughout the story. The storyline is real and so are the multiple questions that formulate within the story.
I took a dislike to Clarissa because of her condescending attitude towards people who were not given the same advantages that she had. Her own daughter has a distaste towards her mother. At the end, I kind of changed my opinion.
The main character, Clarissa, shows us the multiple sides you go through when facing a situation and you get blindsided. You can feel the emotion flowing throughout the story. The storyline is real and so are the multiple questions that formulate within the story.
I took a dislike to Clarissa because of her condescending attitude towards people who were not given the same advantages that she had. Her own daughter has a distaste towards her mother. At the end, I kind of changed my opinion.
July 14, 2019
This Audible Original book was presented as a monologue from the perspective of a loyal wife whose husband is in the hospital, unconscious, following a car accident. She ends up uncovering some infidelity and the book follows how she approaches and deals with the situation. Very concise and brief, but entirely engaging. Definitely worth the one hour it takes to get through it!
July 15, 2019
Awesome. I would love the opportunity to see this performance live.
January 23, 2020
Now this is An American Marriage I can identify with that's authentic and real. This audio was performed well and the machine noise in the background was chilling. I din't want it to end.
Listen to this short audio and be engrossed for a little over an hour.
Listen to this short audio and be engrossed for a little over an hour.
July 8, 2019
It was interesting but it left the story completely unfulfilled. It’s definitely a short story. Well narrated and you definitely fall into it.
May 1, 2020
Not the typical love story one might expect from the title. This one goes much, much deeper and left me very touched.
May 10, 2020
This is the first playwright from Audible’s Emerging Playwrights Fund to hit the stage, and although a quick listen at just over an hour, I really enjoyed it.
The play is about Constance Daily, a middle-aged black woman who is "as close to being wasp while bleeding black as you can get", and how a tragic accident forces her to reevaluate her life and her marriage.
The author hits on many issues, but does so while making you smile and the narration by Brenda Pressley was absolute perfection.
The play is about Constance Daily, a middle-aged black woman who is "as close to being wasp while bleeding black as you can get", and how a tragic accident forces her to reevaluate her life and her marriage.
The author hits on many issues, but does so while making you smile and the narration by Brenda Pressley was absolute perfection.
October 15, 2019
"There is no love, only proof of love."
Proof of Love is a quick listen monologue, only 1 hour and 6 minutes in length. I wasn't sure what I was going to get with this audiobook but decided to check it out anyway. I think it was a free Audible Original from a couple months ago. Anyway, once I started listening, I was captivated.
This was a powerful and moving piece about a woman who finds out her husband has been cheating on her the night he is in a terrible car accident. His phone keeps blowing up with messages as she is in the hospital with him and it ends up being his mistress that is messaging him. Her monologue goes on to explore their life together and life in general. There are some profound realizations and even some twists.
I think this is definitely worth the listen if you have the opportunity. The narrator is fantastic. She did a wonderful job acting this out. Her voices were great and her emotion perfect. I loved her performance.
The only thing that I wish was different is that I wish we could have heard more about what happens next. Even with such a short time spent listening, I felt very invested in these characters and what was happening. Overall, I am rating this as 4.5 stars.
Proof of Love is a quick listen monologue, only 1 hour and 6 minutes in length. I wasn't sure what I was going to get with this audiobook but decided to check it out anyway. I think it was a free Audible Original from a couple months ago. Anyway, once I started listening, I was captivated.
This was a powerful and moving piece about a woman who finds out her husband has been cheating on her the night he is in a terrible car accident. His phone keeps blowing up with messages as she is in the hospital with him and it ends up being his mistress that is messaging him. Her monologue goes on to explore their life together and life in general. There are some profound realizations and even some twists.
I think this is definitely worth the listen if you have the opportunity. The narrator is fantastic. She did a wonderful job acting this out. Her voices were great and her emotion perfect. I loved her performance.
The only thing that I wish was different is that I wish we could have heard more about what happens next. Even with such a short time spent listening, I felt very invested in these characters and what was happening. Overall, I am rating this as 4.5 stars.
August 30, 2020
Constance Daily is the married mother of a grown daughter. She’s Black, as is her husband. And as the story opens, she heads to the hospital. Her husband’s been in an accident.
The whole activity of this short one-woman play takes place in his hospital room. And yet, Hutchinson covers plenty of ground. From the aspects of being a Black, upwardly mobile woman to mothering a daughter who thinks you’ve sold out. What happens when spouses are from different family backgrounds. And the complexity of being Black in the 21st century.
But at the heart of the story is the relationship between husband and wife. And what she didn’t know until the accident. Constance learns about her husband’s life because his phone remains with him despite the accident. And it pings continually with text messages.
This is an affecting story. It’s concise and well-told, covering highlights and lowlights of a long relationship.
The whole activity of this short one-woman play takes place in his hospital room. And yet, Hutchinson covers plenty of ground. From the aspects of being a Black, upwardly mobile woman to mothering a daughter who thinks you’ve sold out. What happens when spouses are from different family backgrounds. And the complexity of being Black in the 21st century.
But at the heart of the story is the relationship between husband and wife. And what she didn’t know until the accident. Constance learns about her husband’s life because his phone remains with him despite the accident. And it pings continually with text messages.
This is an affecting story. It’s concise and well-told, covering highlights and lowlights of a long relationship.
July 10, 2019
Wow, what a read! It's a first person confession style with a wife being confronted by the sudden reality of her marriage! Really enjoyed this because my own head often sounds this jumbled and I talk outloud to myself. Narrator had the perfect ability to go from sassy to broken in a heartbeat.
July 10, 2019
Near-speechless with the depth of emotion portrayed in this short scripted story. I was profoundly touched by the way the author was able to concisely and yet still emphatically recount the love of a lifetime in the span of an hour. Well written.
December 7, 2024
2019 52 Book Challenge - 1) A Book Published In 2019
This was such an authentic look at class and marriage and what questions you have when faced with a tragedy. I hope that it comes to stage one day, and that I have the ability to see it.
This was such an authentic look at class and marriage and what questions you have when faced with a tragedy. I hope that it comes to stage one day, and that I have the ability to see it.
August 16, 2020
I really enjoyed this!!! On every level. It's very short and went by super quick and I HAVE QUESTIONS!! I WANT MORE!! 😭😭
March 23, 2021
Wonderful, moving, genuine feel- but the end cuts off abruptly and there isn't a proper resolution, which was beyond frustrating.
November 14, 2021
The most unrealistic thing I've ever heard.
April 14, 2022
What an AMAZING Audible Original !!! I've had it in my library and just listened to it. This original is so real life and draws you in. Definitely recommend.
Must locate more by Chisa Hutchinson.
Must locate more by Chisa Hutchinson.
February 8, 2020
Quick read/listen-enjoyable. Would definitely recommend
September 15, 2020
So good a quick must listen 🎧
February 13, 2021
So much to think about in an hour.
So relatable and yet vicarious in parts.
So enriching and has made an impression that will stay with me a long time.
So relatable and yet vicarious in parts.
So enriching and has made an impression that will stay with me a long time.
November 28, 2022
I recommended it.
January 9, 2026
⭐️⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 5 stars / 5
“Sometimes the truth isn’t polite, and love shouldn’t be either.”
I absolutely loved Proof of Love. The sass, the bite, the honesty — it hit me right in the feels in the best way. This story felt like a breath of fresh air after so many “safe” romances.
Premise / Summary:
In Proof of Love, we follow Constance Daley, a woman who believed she had a stable marriage and an ideal life — until her husband ends up in a tragic accident. As she sits by his hospital bed, Constance unravels hidden truths about their relationship, forcing her to question everything she once took for granted. 
Characters & World‑Building:
Constance is layered, real, and unapologetically herself. Her inner monologue — full of sharp wit, pain, anger, longing — feels raw and intimate. The whole story is grounded in real emotions and tough truths about love, class, identity, and what people expect from you vs. who you really are. The setting doesn’t need much world‑building — it’s everyday life, made powerful by what unfolds.
Audiobook / Listening Experience:
I listened to this on audio, and it’s short but impactful: the full piece comes in at about 1 hour and 6 minutes.  The narrator does an amazing job — the emotion, the pacing, the timing all feel real, like you’re inside Constance’s head.
Pacing & Writing:
The writing is tight, bold, and unafraid. There’s humor, bitterness, love, heartbreak — all compacted into a short runtime. It moves fast but doesn’t feel rushed. The tension and emotional weight build so naturally that by the end I was shook, in the best way.
What Worked / What Didn’t:
What worked: the honesty, the attitude, the emotional punch, and how real Constance felt. The short format packs a lot of power. If anything, I wish I could have heard more — more of what happens next, more closure on some of the threads. But honestly? That longing only means the story stuck with me.
Why I Loved It / Star Rating:
I gave it 5 full stars because it’s the kind of story that takes what we think we know about love, marriage, loyalty — and tears it down gently but firmly. It felt fresh, necessary, and unforgettable.
Conclusion:
Proof of Love is a short but mighty listen — sharp, honest, heartfelt, and full of attitude. If you want a romance/drama that doesn’t shy away from hard truths and sassy, real emotions, this one’s a gem.
“Sometimes the truth isn’t polite, and love shouldn’t be either.”
I absolutely loved Proof of Love. The sass, the bite, the honesty — it hit me right in the feels in the best way. This story felt like a breath of fresh air after so many “safe” romances.
Premise / Summary:
In Proof of Love, we follow Constance Daley, a woman who believed she had a stable marriage and an ideal life — until her husband ends up in a tragic accident. As she sits by his hospital bed, Constance unravels hidden truths about their relationship, forcing her to question everything she once took for granted. 
Characters & World‑Building:
Constance is layered, real, and unapologetically herself. Her inner monologue — full of sharp wit, pain, anger, longing — feels raw and intimate. The whole story is grounded in real emotions and tough truths about love, class, identity, and what people expect from you vs. who you really are. The setting doesn’t need much world‑building — it’s everyday life, made powerful by what unfolds.
Audiobook / Listening Experience:
I listened to this on audio, and it’s short but impactful: the full piece comes in at about 1 hour and 6 minutes.  The narrator does an amazing job — the emotion, the pacing, the timing all feel real, like you’re inside Constance’s head.
Pacing & Writing:
The writing is tight, bold, and unafraid. There’s humor, bitterness, love, heartbreak — all compacted into a short runtime. It moves fast but doesn’t feel rushed. The tension and emotional weight build so naturally that by the end I was shook, in the best way.
What Worked / What Didn’t:
What worked: the honesty, the attitude, the emotional punch, and how real Constance felt. The short format packs a lot of power. If anything, I wish I could have heard more — more of what happens next, more closure on some of the threads. But honestly? That longing only means the story stuck with me.
Why I Loved It / Star Rating:
I gave it 5 full stars because it’s the kind of story that takes what we think we know about love, marriage, loyalty — and tears it down gently but firmly. It felt fresh, necessary, and unforgettable.
Conclusion:
Proof of Love is a short but mighty listen — sharp, honest, heartfelt, and full of attitude. If you want a romance/drama that doesn’t shy away from hard truths and sassy, real emotions, this one’s a gem.
August 10, 2019
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I assumed I would. I'll admit that I didn't really look deeply into what it was about before I got it, but the pickings were slim for what appeared to be interesting. I thought this was going to be a memoir, but it doesn't appear to be.
It's written and narrated in the style of a woman talking directly to "you" the reader as if if we're playing the role of her comatose husband. I will say that this book is not necessarily written "for" anyone who isn't an African American, but it's still really lovely, and it gives some insight into the experiences African Americans face in a predominantly white country. It offers nuanced narrative into the idea that sometimes success means giving up parts of your roots, and it offers the idea that privilege can close off communication from those who don't necessarily have it because of fear of judgement.
I can't pretend to have more than an outside-looking-in understanding of what it's like to be a black American, but I can say this book is really lovely. It covers infidelity and second chances, loss and longing, as well as classicism, and it does so with a touch of refreshing humor here and there to keep it from feeling overly heavy. Even so, I teared up by the end.
The narrator did a fantastic job. She has a very expressive way of speaking, and she did great with accents and with distinct voices.
My reason for giving it four stars instead of five might not be very fair, but it's because books about infidelity are things I try to avoid whenever possible, and that was literally the central plot. I hate stuff about people going through each others' phones without permission. I hate stuff where people can't communicate clearly even though it worked really well here. I found this book to be an exercise in frustration for me whenever the central character would invade her husband's privacy even if she had an arguably good reason to do so and even if by the end, it really helped the central character clear the air and come to a beautiful conclusion.
It's written and narrated in the style of a woman talking directly to "you" the reader as if if we're playing the role of her comatose husband. I will say that this book is not necessarily written "for" anyone who isn't an African American, but it's still really lovely, and it gives some insight into the experiences African Americans face in a predominantly white country. It offers nuanced narrative into the idea that sometimes success means giving up parts of your roots, and it offers the idea that privilege can close off communication from those who don't necessarily have it because of fear of judgement.
I can't pretend to have more than an outside-looking-in understanding of what it's like to be a black American, but I can say this book is really lovely. It covers infidelity and second chances, loss and longing, as well as classicism, and it does so with a touch of refreshing humor here and there to keep it from feeling overly heavy. Even so, I teared up by the end.
The narrator did a fantastic job. She has a very expressive way of speaking, and she did great with accents and with distinct voices.
My reason for giving it four stars instead of five might not be very fair, but it's because books about infidelity are things I try to avoid whenever possible, and that was literally the central plot. I hate stuff about people going through each others' phones without permission. I hate stuff where people can't communicate clearly even though it worked really well here. I found this book to be an exercise in frustration for me whenever the central character would invade her husband's privacy even if she had an arguably good reason to do so and even if by the end, it really helped the central character clear the air and come to a beautiful conclusion.
January 6, 2020
Rounded up from 3.5 - engaging one-woman play.
July 27, 2019
Effective one-hander with machine accompaniment
Review of the Audible Studios audiobook edition (July 2019)
A wife discovers her husband's infidelity through his smartphone when he is incapacitated in a hospital bed and starts to track his correspondence and then the social media of the mistress. This is accompanied by the sound of a respirator that is hissing / exhaling in the background which at various times will remind you of a rattlesnake's rattle or last gasps for air. This is all very well performed by actress Brenda Pressley supported by a simple but effective sound design.
Proof of Love is an Audible Theatre Emerging Playwrights commission. It was one of the free Audible Originals offers to members for July 2019.
Review of the Audible Studios audiobook edition (July 2019)
A wife discovers her husband's infidelity through his smartphone when he is incapacitated in a hospital bed and starts to track his correspondence and then the social media of the mistress. This is accompanied by the sound of a respirator that is hissing / exhaling in the background which at various times will remind you of a rattlesnake's rattle or last gasps for air. This is all very well performed by actress Brenda Pressley supported by a simple but effective sound design.
Proof of Love is an Audible Theatre Emerging Playwrights commission. It was one of the free Audible Originals offers to members for July 2019.
December 22, 2019
I loved this book. I loved her voice. I loved her descriptions. I loved her responses, some of which had me rolling. It is a very short book, but it quickly draws you in and has you rooting for the main character.
#abookwithloveinthetitle
#abookwithloveinthetitle
October 30, 2019
I really enjoyed this one-woman play. In this monologue, a woman speaks to us from her husband’s hospital bedside after he is involved in a serious car accident. And as she sits by his bed, she starts discovering secrets that he has kept from her. These secrets are interspersed by memories of how she met her husband, their dating, their family, their friends. She has a lot of emotions to work through. There are some funny moments, some heart-aches, and redemption. A wee bit of language.
1 hour 6 minutes. Audible original. Narrator, Brenda Pressley does a great job!
1 hour 6 minutes. Audible original. Narrator, Brenda Pressley does a great job!
March 13, 2020
A good story. Not a whole lot of surprises in it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews