Review: A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD at New Conservatory Theatre Center

A Case for the Existence of God

By Samuel D. Hunter

Directed by Will Detlefsen

New Conservatory Theatre Center

Two polar opposite schoolmates reconnect years later during a time of crisis for both men in Samuel D. Hunter’s misleadingly titled play which opened October 24th as their second season offering. The story has no theism involved and is instead a melancholy reflection on fatherhood highlighted by two fine performances by Tarig Elsiddig and Simon Winheld.

Ryan (Winheld) is newly divorced, working a minimum wage job in Twin Falls with dreams of purchasing his old family homestead and building a dream home for his baby girl Krista. Keith (Elsiddig) is a mortgage broker, Black and queer, attempting to adopt his foster baby Willa. Having met at their children’s daycare, Keith tries to assist Ryan get a loan, knowing it will be a severe challenge given Ryan’s background and current financial situation.

Ryan is financially disadvantaged, stressed to the max but committed to his dream. Keith is demonstrative, professional, and caring. He knows you must play the numbers game while Ryan rails against the inhumanity of the system where debt to income ratios matter more than personal factors. The two slowly become friends, sharing their sadness and fears of losing their children. Turns out Keith remembers the swaggering, popular Ryan from High School. The guy who harassed him doesn’t even remember. Lighting designer Nic Candito uses lighting cues to reflect the passage of time in the static office set by Ashley Mendez. The drama ramps up when Ryan’s screws up the loan Keith put his neck out on, the dream of land and home gone. Keith delivers a beautiful speech about losing Willa, a foreshadow of his reality. Both men are broken and there’s no happy conclusion here.

I’m not sure what the message is here besides two men bonding during a crisis. One’s straight, one’s gay, one’s educated and financially stable, one may have genetic mental health issues. There’s a strange coda where Ryan and Keith are the adult daughters Chloe (formerly Willa) and Krista reminiscing about a picture of the two as babies. A Case for the Existence of God is a well worth seeing these two actors go mano a mano.

A Case for the Existence of God continues through November 15th. Tickets are available at https://nctcsf.org/event/a-case-for-the-existence-of-god/ or by calling 415-861-8972.

Photo credits: Lois Tema

More on New Conservatory Theatre Center

Upcoming Shows

Hedwig and The Angry Inch

7/9 - 7/11/2027

Recent Articles

A KIDMAN CAROL to Make West Coast Debut at NCTC

10/12/2026

Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at New Conservatory Theatre Center

9/25/2026