A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD to be Presented at Pioneer Theatre Company
Performances will run from March 28-April 12, 2025.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Mar. 07, 2025
Pioneer Theatre Company will present the Utah premiere of A Case for the Existence of God, which originally debuted at NYC’s Signature Theatre in 2022. The intimate and poignant new work from award-winning playwright and screenwriter Samuel D. Hunter (The Whale) marks the third PTC production in the new Meldrum Theatre at the Einar Nielsen Field House.
In the confined space of an office cubicle, Keith, a mortgage broker, and Ryan, a yogurt plant worker with aspirations tied to ancestral land, discover an unexpected shared thread weaving through their lives. Amidst discussions of loans and financial uncertainties, their conversation delves deeper, touching upon the challenges of parenthood and the angst of insecurity. Through a blend of humor, empathy, and raw honesty, Hunter skillfully intertwines Keith and Ryan’s stories, bridging the gap between their individual life experiences and shedding light on the complexities of human existence.
Recipient of a 2014 MacArthur Grant, Samuel D. Hunter is a native of Idaho—no stranger to telling contemporary stories of the American West. His Oscar-winning film The Whale, is set in his hometown of Moscow, ID. A Case for the Existence of God is set in Twin Falls.
CAST & CREATIVE
Comprising the cast are two actors making their respective PTC debuts. Jon Hudson Odom* plays Keith and has appeared at some of the most prestigious regional theatres in the nation—including Steppenwolf, Wooly Mammoth, The Goodman, and Denver Center (among others). Onscreen, Odom has appeared in Lovecraft Country, Somebody Somewhere, South Side (HBO Max); Chicago PD (NBC); as well as the films The Year Between, A Savage Nature, and Reporting for Christmas.
Lee Osorio* plays Ryan and is an Atlanta-based actor and playwright. A seven-time Suzi Bass Award nominee, Lee won Best Lead Actor for Richard II. Select television credits include True Detective, Your Honor, The Resident, and Lee currently recurs as Ethan Rana on NBC's Found. In 2024, two of Lee's plays received world-premiere productions: Prisontown at Savannah Rep and A Third Way at Actor's Express.
Salt Lake City Awards - Live Stats
Best Musical - Top 3
1.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (West Valley Arts)
17.2% of votes
2.
SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Hopebox Theatre)
8.1% of votes
3.
DOGFIGHT (Sentinel Theatre)
7.3% of votes
Videos