Cast Announced For A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD At ACT Contemporary Theatre

 ACT Contemporary Theatre announced the cast and creative team for the Seattle premiere of A Case for the Existence of God by Samuel D. Hunter, starting February 2. ACT’s opening play in 2024 is directed by ACT Artistic Director John Langs and features powerful Seattle actors Conner Neddersen and Nathaniel Tenenbaum.

Called a “must-see heartbreaker of a play” by The New York Times, A Case for the Existence of God was written by notable playwright Samuel D. Hunter, best known for plays A Bright New Boise, which won the 2011 Obie Award for playwriting, and The Whale, which won a 2013 Drama Desk Award and the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play. Hunter wrote the screenplay to the award-winning film of the same name, which also featured Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts alumni Brendan Fraser in an Oscar-winning role. 

A Case for the Existence of God takes place entirely inside a small loan brokerage in Idaho, where two men - a study in opposites - struggle to make a place for their family in the American dream, walking a tightrope while balancing parenthood, financial security, desire, and empathy. 

"After my first read, which was a deeply moving experience, someone asked me what the play was about," said Director (and ACT Contemporary Theatre Artistic Director) John Langs. “The phrase that came to mind was ‘adulting in the age of anxiety.’ The story resonated with the question of how our humanity must navigate the complicated systems and stage gates of being an adult. Playwright Samuel D. Hunter has become a true chronicler of our time by amplifying the existential questions that have become more complex as our society continues to move at the speed of light.”

The show starts February 2, and celebrates opening night on February 8, with a pre-show party in collaboration with Northwest Folklife with entertainment from Duo Takinai: Guo Ke and Reynaldo Ruiz. Other special events throughout the run include Tix for Teachers, Community Day, an ASL performance, and an audio-described performance. A full list of events can be found below and at ACTtheatre.org.