Samuel D. Hunter, who has astonished us with The Whale, Lewiston/Clarkston, and Greater Clements (among others) is back in our midst with another extraordinary play, A Case for the Existence of God.
Hunter presents two men in their mid-thirties, born and raised in the same small town. (As in his past work, the action is set in Hunter’s native Idaho.) Keith (Kyle Beltran) and Ryan (Will Brill) are dissimilar in race, class, education, and prospects. Both, though, are single fathers of toddlers; both are facing custody battles; and both awkwardly admit that they “share a specific kind of—sadness.” It is this sadness which brings them together, despite a series of obstacles as well as the ominous atmosphere, crafted by Hunter, that incessantly threatens to smother one or the other of them.
It should be added, up front, that A Case for the Existence of God does not deal with, talk about, or in any way address religion. One can imagine a commercial producer pleading with the author for a more inviting title; but one can similarly imagine a playwright of Hunter’s integrity insisting on a title he deems integral to the piece. That said, the case of Keith and Ryan—and the manner in which Hunter sees fit to resolve it—could, obliquely, make a case for the existence of God.
“I don’t know how to move past this, I don’t know what to do,” says one to the other at the play’s crisis. “Do you think we’re gonna be okay?” Hunter’s final scene indicates yes; or, to use the character’s words, “Yeah, maybe it’s okay.”
[Read Frank Scheck’s ★★★★☆ review here.]
The warmhearted riches and laughter contained within the 90-minute span—along with surprises in writing and staging formulated by Hunter and his director, David Cromer—are such that it’s best not to further describe them. A Case for the Existence of God will surely hold up on second viewing, when the conceptual choices are already known. But rather than spill the proverbial beans, it’s preferable for the viewer to discover the play as it unfolds.
There is much that could be said about Cromer, the innovative director of the 2009 Our Town and The Band’s Visit; but we’ll let his back-to-back work on the equally excellent Prayer for the French Nation (by Joshua Harmon) and A Case for the Existence of God speak for itself. Let us add that certain remarkable elements of the staging—those who have seen the play will likely understand what I refer to—are specifically indicated within Hunter’s script. Contributing enormously to the occasion is the unconventional but intrinsically suitable scenic design of Arnulfo Maldonado, who is currently represented by A Strange Loop at the Lyceum, and the lighting by Tyler Micoleau, like Cromer a Tony winner for The Band’s Visit and who similarly illuminates American Buffalo.
As we enter the era of digital theater programs, it takes some digging to discover within the biographical entries that author Hunter and director Cromer are both—unsurprisingly and deservedly—recipients of MacArthur Fellowships. Also revealed is the fact that actors Beltran and Brill were roommates when they attended the MFA program at Carnegie Mellon University. Beltran has been impressing us, over and over, since The Flick and The Fortress of Solitude. Brill recently appeared as Ali Hakim in the reimagined Oklahoma! Their individual work as Keith and Ryan is impeccable; but their obvious familiarity with each other enhances the performances and the play.
Playgoers have been bemoaning the state of the American drama since forever, or at least since the mid-1950s when you could see new Broadway plays by Miller, Williams, and Inge in the same week. Yes, today’s commercial theater is a forbidding arena; but we are living at a time when remarkable American plays keep emerging from a coterie of ground-breaking playwrights. These include Hunter and—in alphabetical order, so as not to play favorites—Annie Baker, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Lucas Hnath, Stephen Karam, Richard Nelson, Lynn Nottage, and Suzan-Lori Parks among others. As was the case with Miller, Williams, and Albee, some of their individual plays are inevitably stronger or weaker; but these playwrights of today always have something to say, and usually a distinctive method of saying it.
End of sermon. Except to remind readers of Signature’s standard $35 price for all seats. (This does not include any extension past May 15, but tickets for the initial run are presently still available.) Playgoers looking for a thought-provoking evening of theater will do well to consider Hunter’s compelling Case for the Existence of God.
A Case for the Existence of God opened May 2, 2022, at Signature Center and runs through May 29. Tickets and information: signaturetheatre.org
