A Case for the Existence of God

English

A Case for the Existence of God
An intimate story of hope and friendship

In A Case for the Existence of God Erik Whien presents a heartrending plea for hope, even when everything seems lost. In this new play by American playwright Samuel D. Hunter, we see an unlikely friendship develop between two fathers. Two men who, at first glance, have nothing in common except that life is giving them an incredibly rough time. Their misfortune is the basis for a connection that may have something have something hidden within that is grand or divine.

Two single fathers (played by Emmanuel Ohene Boafo and Bram Suijker), are fighting for custody over their daughters. One is struggling with money problems, the other with complicated adoption procedures. After all the problems in the past, both of them are now also burdened by the continuing fear of failing as a father. In A Case for the Existence of God, the men empathetically and meanderingly search how to keep on hoping and connecting as disappointment almost paralyzes them.

“Must-see heartbreaker of a play” the New York Times wrote about the intimate and existentialist A Case for The Existence of God. After the successes of Grief is the Thing with Feathers and Slaughterhouse Five, director Erik Whien brings the first Dutch adaptation of this acclaimed play to the theater. In an intimate dialogue, actors Emmanuel Ohene Boafo (winner of the Louis d’Or 2021) and Bram Suijker (winner of the Louis d’Or 2022) share the floor.

Bryan in A Case for the Existence of God:
 I hope this isn't weird of me to say but - I think we share a specific kind of - sadness. You and me.

Erik Whien:
“A Case for the Existence of God is a quest for hope in everyday life, which is controlled by 'systems' in so many ways. Things like where you grew up, what social class you belong to, your sexual orientation, your work environment, etc. In the play we see two men who are in real danger of getting stuck within these present constructs. In fact, they are each other's opposites - or so they appear to be. Because underneath all their differences, they discover a common ground, from which a deep friendship evolves. A friendship that gives them a sanctuary to face life. By which, in short, they are less lonely. And perhaps it is precisely this joint humanity that is the 'godliness' to which the title refers."

A talk after the show with Samuel D. Hunter on Thursday January 4.

On Thursday January 4, there will be a post-performance talk with the author of the play, Samuel D. Hunter. English spoken.

Samuel D. Hunter (1981) was born and raised in Moscow, Idaho (USA). He studied playwriting at New York University, the University of Iowa and Juilliard. A Bright New Boise (2010), marked his break-through as a dramatist. The play won the prestigious Obie Award for Playwriting. Two years later Hunter wrote his best-known play, The Whale (2011), which won a number of awards and was filmed in 2022 by director Darren Arnofsky. Starring Brendan Fraser, the film won an Academy Award, the SAG Award and the Critic's choice award, and other awards. Hunter additionally wrote the plays The Few, A Great Wilderness, Rest, Pocatello, Lewiston, Clarkston, The Healing, The Harvest, Greater Clements and A Case for the Existence of God.

Hunter's work is characterized first of all by the ever-recurring search into the human capacity for empathy, often in times of great personal crisis. All of his plays are set in small, remote villages in his native Idaho. A realistic setting, that presents him with the opportunity as a writer to explore larger, abstract themes, like hope, doubt, and the connection with humour and compassion.

Samuel D. Hunter lives with his husband, dramaturge John Baker and their daughter Frances Hunter-Baker in Inwood, Manhattan. In 2014 Hunter received a McArthur Fellowship. Currently, he's resident playwright at Signature Theatre in New York.

text Samuel D. Hunter direction Erik Whien actors Emmanuel Ohene Boafo, Bram Suijker translation Vera Morina, Erik Whien dramaturgy Brecht De Backer scenography Marloes en Wikke lighting design Julian Maiwald costume design Rebekka Wörmann music Thijs van Vuure