A Case For The Existence of God (New Samuel D Hunter Play)

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 10:09pm

Saw first preview tonight.

The less said the better but I never thought I play about getting a bank loan could end up to be so compelling.

If you enjoy Hunters past plays you will love this, if you are a casual theater goer be warned it takes 30 minutes to kick in, but in the end I was blown away. The production design is amazing as are Will Brill and Kyle Beltran

Can not recommend it more highly 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 10:14pm

I also thought it was quite good, though I did have some issue with it. I think some of the dramatic tension from scene 1 is released too early, and the ensuing scenes get a too dramatic too quickly. But the play goes deep, and ends up being very beautiful. I agree that ending was gorgeous! Great direction from Cromer, as usual. 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 10:15pm

I can see this getting shaped quiet a bit and somethings getting tighter, they have almost 3 weeks of previews

 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 11:10pm

Seeing this Sunday and looking forward. Did either of you note the runtime?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 11:26pm

It ran almost exactly 90 minutes, but with a slightly late start it ended at 9:10 after a 7:30 listed curtain 

Updated On: 4/12/22 at 11:26 PM

[Tony 3]

Posted: 4/12/22 at 11:58pm

I'm so glad to see that a thread has already been made about this production. I highly recommend this one, especially if you are a fan of Hunter's other work. 

I was there this evening and also found this play to be incredibly moving and compelling. Will Brill and Kyle Betran both gave fantastic performances, and the design was simple, but lovely. I do agree that certain scenes became too dramatic a bit too quickly, but I thought it found its footing early in the evening. It took me a second to understand that beautiful, final scene. 

I would love to revisit this towards the end of the run. 

 

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I was a bit surprised how violently that keyboard was smashed, and how much landed in the audience. A large chunk flew to the back of the house. Did anyone else notice this?

It was an effective moment, but one that should be retooled. 

 

 

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 4/13/22 at 11:15am

It's shocking to see a thread about an Off-Broadway play on here these days. 

Saw this last night as well and thought it was really great. Both actors are giving fully realized performances but I agree with the other posters that a lot of the dramatic moments come out of nowhere and feel a bit forced. I didn't find it as emotionally resonant because a lot of it is centered around the notion of having children which is something I couldn't care less about.

The set was nice but I think this is something that would have been better served at The Vineyard. They try to do something with the enormity of that stage but it still felt swallowed up with the majority of the action being very confined. I agree with the keyboard comment and I think that will be cut after last night.

I liked Cromer's direction here a lot more than I did in Prayer for the French Republic.

That being said I would recommend this one.

[macnyc]

Posted: 4/23/22 at 7:09pm

I saw the matinee today and found the play very moving. I am filled with admirations for these actors. I simply don't know how they can do something like this: just two performers, constant dialog back and forth, real emotion. They are incredible.

I would have liked more of a set. Having them in the cubicle for almost the whole play felt claustrophobic to me. Also, the scene changes, which take place after a lighting cue, were also a bit too subtle for me. There's plenty of room on that stage for a sort of living room set or something.

I must be dumber than the average playgoer because I did not get the ending (or maybe it's an epilogue) at all and my friend had to explain it to me.

Regarding the keyboard:

 

 

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The keyboard smashing is still in the show, and I am amazed they kept it in the show and haven't been sued yet!

 

Updated On: 4/23/22 at 07:09 PM

[VotePeron]

Posted: 4/23/22 at 7:20pm

Hard to talk much about the show without spoiling, but if you’re a fan of theater and specifically enjoy off-Broadway plays, this is as good as it gets. 
 

 

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I can’t believe they sit in their seats without standing for 75 minutes, and yet keep us fully engaged. The keyboard smashing felt very “theater 101” to me, but I appreciate the intensity. It didn’t fly far back when I saw it, but definitely into the unsold & covered front row. I grew to really enjoy the enormity of the space counteracting the small set, but if I had been sitting in the rear half of the auditorium I’d probably feel differently. Really looking forward to the rest of Sam’s residency, and hope all involved get their flowers for this excellent night of theater.

 

[DCDrama2]

Posted: 4/24/22 at 8:53am

Does anyone have insight about the potential for this to extend? I would love to see it but my NY trip is at the end of May.

[The Other One]

Posted: 4/24/22 at 9:34am

I am baffled by the extent to which people like this play.  Its big moments feel forced and the "don't you remember our shared history?" bits don't ring true.  There is much to like, the actors are excellent, but I don't get the fawning over this piece as though it's some sort of eye-opener.

I am on the outside looking in, I guess.  

Updated On: 4/24/22 at 09:34 AM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/24/22 at 11:26am

The Other One said: "Its big moments feel forced"

I am not questioning your overall reaction (obvs not everyone is going to have the same reaction) but I am curious what moments you are referring to.

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 4/24/22 at 10:29pm

Add me to the list of people who enjoyed this play a lot.  I didn't have any trouble with the "big dramatic moments" like other posters as I felt that they were mostly played as quiet revelations outside of one moment that kind of serves as the "11 o'clock scene" of the show (it's a little unhinged but I think it works in the overall arc of the play).  I don't normally enjoy slice of life stories, which is what a lot of this show seems to be, but these two actors really made the characters so compelling so quickly and I really enjoyed watching the development of their relationship.  I also didn't really think it took that much time to kick in but honestly I found the conversation around getting a loan kind of interesting? or maybe it's just this particular conversation with the humanity that these characters bring to it.

I thought both the lighting and sound design were excellent, though the first scene change jarred me a bit, and I didn't mind the way the set was placed, and it really spoke to me more of the overarching ideas of the play.  The set change for the penultimate was really quite striking and beautiful to me, and the final scene could be seen as a bit hokey or cheesy, but I thought it added a nice bit of closure.  I don't necessarily think there's any big ideas here, mostly just a series of small ones and not necessarily ones that are supposed to shift our worldview, but for me it was mostly just spending some time with these particular characters and the empathy they bring.

Pretty minor spoiler:

 

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I actually really appreciated the way that the title of the play was never mentioned or even touched upon in the actual play, as it felt like it really just let the play speak for itself in a more profound way, though I wonder if people of different religious leanings might feel differently (I'm agnostic)

 

[Jim Dunning]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 2:52am

I saw this play a few days ago and loved it.  For a play so minimalist in set, staging and cast size and featuring plain-spoken language, it boasts an almost overwhelming amount of feeling and empathy.  I'm hoping the lack of discussion about it is partly because of the avalanche of Broadway fare that's been opening so people just aren't paying attention to a small, Off-Broadway show, as this is one of Samuel Hunter's strongest plays.  Crossing my fingers for good reviews - hopefully even a number of raves - so it will get an extension and hopefully a healthy post-NY life in regional theatres.

[Sauja]

Posted: 4/30/22 at 10:53am

One more person chiming in to say how much they loved this. It’s such a small, intimate play, and in lesser hands, I can imagine it being a real chore. But Brill and Beltran are truly great in it. Two beautifully matched performances. I learned after the show that they shared a room in college. What a gift to now have this stunning material to dig into together and share. It’s not going to be for everyone. It’s incredibly spare. But for the patient, it contains enormous rewards. Loved it!

[mxfish1313]

Posted: 5/1/22 at 2:34pm

We saw this last night as the final performance of a 12-show, week-long trip. Leading up to the show we were lamenting not ending the trip with one of the bigger, splashier musicals, but after seeing this we knew we made the right choice. The ups and downs within the storyline were perfectly handled by the actors, IMO. Their give-and-take and authenticity really drew me in and the ending was beautiful and gave us plenty to talk about and ponder on the walk back to our hotel. We were in the second row so the small set didn’t seem that way for us, but given the amount of space surrounding the main action area, I can’t imagine it feeling as intimate from a seat in the back where you’re more aware of all the space  not being used. 

[Jim Dunning]

Posted: 5/2/22 at 10:42pm

NYT Critic's Pick from Jesse Green

Making a Beautiful ‘Case for the Existence of God’

Samuel D. Hunter’s heartbreaking new play argues for hope even in the face of extreme disappointment.

[Jim Dunning]

Posted: 5/2/22 at 11:16pm

Vulture's Helen Shaw very positive (no negatives) without a money quote.

Two Men, Twin Falls: Samuel Hunter’s A Case for the Existence of God

In David Cromer’s exquisitely judged, perfectly performed production at the Signature Theater, the two men stay seated in Keith’s small cubicle office under a dropped, fluorescent ceiling, the cramped space (filing drawers, monitors, cabinets) suspended like a vivid droplet against designer Arnulfo Maldonado’s white cyclorama. 

[Jim Dunning]

Posted: 5/2/22 at 11:19pm

Theatermania's David Gordon rave:

Samuel D. Hunter's Case for the Existence of God Will Make You Believe

This 90-minute two-hander, which David Cromer directs, is one of the most moving new plays of the year.

[Jim Dunning]

Posted: 5/2/22 at 11:32pm

NY Stage Review's Steven Suskin rave (5/5 stars):

A Case For The Existence Of God: Compellingly Good

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.

 

NY Stage Review's Frank Scheck very positive (4/5 stars):

Intimate Drama Packing A Powerful Punch

A Case for the Existence of God, receiving is world premiere at the Signature Theatre, represents theater at its most humanistic and features two performances so superbly symbiotic they almost become one.

[Jim Dunning]

Posted: 5/2/22 at 11:35pm

The Wrap's Robert Hofler rave:

A Riveting, Deceptively Simple 2-Hander

This review is purposefully sparse on specifics regarding what actually happens in Hunter’s play. That’s because the sense of discovery that this production evokes is one of its major pleasures. Discover them for yourself. “A Case for the Existence of God” is a world premiere, and there hasn’t been a better one for a play this theater season in New York City.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 5/6/22 at 12:31pm

I have one ticket for the Sunday, May 8, evening performance that I am unable to use. Seat B-112

Paid $41.50 with fees.  Asking $30.

PDF ticket/Zelle (preferred) or Paypal for payment

Updated On: 5/6/22 at 12:31 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/6/22 at 1:01pm

I have to agree with the critics with this one, this was compelling and entertaining every second from start to finish. Highly recommended. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 12:49am

This was so fantastic. Extremely moving and heartbreaking. I’m so happy I got a ticket to this. Try to see it before it closes this week…truly one of the best shows of the season.

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/3/22 at 1:05am

Does anyone forsee future life in NYC for this?