Theater: “A Case for the Existence of God” by Samuel D. Hunter
Exhale, people. Samuel D. Hunter’s new play “A Case for the Existence of God” has nothing to do with that philosophy course you took in college, or the writings of Camus and Sartre.
Instead, the focus in “Case” seems rather small-bore at first: two dads living in a small Idaho town meet at their daughters’ day care facility. Ryan (Will Brill), soon to be divorced, discovers that Kevin (Kyle Beltran), a gay foster parent, is a mortgage broker, so he hits him up for a loan to buy 12 acres of land, despite the fact that Ryan’s credit history is a disaster. Over the course of several months they form a friendship, the foundation of which is their shared loneliness and the fear that their children will be taken from them.
Be advised that “A Case,” while well written and exquisitely directed, is a rather static play. Not much goes on and I often found myself waiting for something to happen. But the powerful finale is worth the wait, at which point the meaning of the play’s title becomes clear.
What cannot be disputed about “A Case,” which won the NY Drama Circle award for best play, is the cast. Brill and Beltran play characters who have terrific onstage chemistry. Not surprising as they were roommates in college—where you might indeed
have found yourself debating such matters as the existence of God. At Signature Theater.