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Ryan Didato and Randall Swinton in New City Players; A Case for the Existence of God (Photos by Ryan Arnst)
By Jan Sjostrom
What could be more ordinary? Two men sitting in an office cubicle, one at the computer and the other in the client’s chair puzzling over a sheaf of documents. The expert and the one who’s paying him.
Strictly business. But not for long in A Case for the Existence of God, New City Players’ current production being staged at Island City Stage in Wilton Manors.
Playwright Samuel D. Hunter might be familiar to audiences from his screenplay for the 2022 film The Whale, based on his play by the same name about a morbidly obese man.
A Case for the Existence of God explores the complexities of male friendships by focusing on two men whose deepening relationship at a critical point in their lives shatters their protective shells.
Helmed by Timothy Mark Davis, the company’s producing artistic director, the show crackles with emotional energy, fueled by electrifying performances by Ryan Didato and Randall Swinton, along with propulsive pacing and a keenly insightful script.
The 90-minute play unfolds without intermission in a series of staccato scenes – most separated by lighting blackouts, percussive music and flashing lights.
The story is set in the present in a small Idaho town where both characters grew up. Any scenes beyond the confined office setting are brought to life with minimal props, sound, lighting and the power of the imagination.
Ryan, played by Didato, has come to Keith, portrayed by Swinton, to secure a mortgage to buy a property his family once farmed nearly 100 years ago. A factory worker with a basic education, he’s completely over his head.
When the college-educated Keith “explains” in a torrent of financial jargon, Ryan fires back that Keith is merely spouting words he’s been taught. He and Keith are no more than little gears in a big machine, he says.
That’s the start of the leveling between the men that increases with every scene.
What brings them together in the first place is a chance encounter at the day care center attended by their cherished little girls, toddlers a month apart in age. As the play progresses it’s clear that each man is on slippery ground when it comes to fatherhood.
Ryan hopes to build a home for himself and his daughter on the land he wants to buy. But his wife is seeking full custody in their divorce. Keith, who is single, longs to adopt the child he’s been fostering but his prospects have dimmed since the birth mother’s sister has learned he is gay.
An awkward dance begins as the characters gradually let down their guards, while tripping over their manly training to go it alone and never let anyone know they’re hurting.
Didato’s perceptive Ryan has never had much of a chance in life, as he was raised in poverty by drug-addicted parents. But Ryan’s spirit is unsinkable. He keeps on trying despite the odds against ever being approved for a loan. He’s the first to crack open the door to friendship when he tells Keith he thinks they “share a specific kind of sadness.”
Swinton’s tightly wound Keith is less trusting. But his control is plainly slipping, first in nervous ticks then a convincing full-out anxiety attack.
Both men feel alone in the world. Swinton underscores this when he gifts the audience with one of the play’s rare comic moments. When Ryan asserts that despite slim pickings there’s at least one guy in town Keith could ask out, his words drop into a well of silence until Keith says, “I already have. His name’s Nick. We had coffee – once.”
Old grievances and hurts hinder connection, but none is more frightening than the minefield of physical touch. The way the actors bridge that gap is perhaps the show’s most powerful through line.
Heart-breaking and heart-healing moments are plentiful in the play. So are surprises. The playwright saves the best for last.
Does the play make a convincing case for the existence of God? Not overtly. But if God is love, it’s in there.
New City Players’ production of A Case for the Existence of God runs through March 8 at Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors. The show runs 90 minutes without intermission. Performances are held at 8 p.m. on Feb. 26, Feb. 27, Feb. 28, March 5, March 6 and March 7 and 3 p.m. on Feb. 28, March 1, March 7 and March 8. Tickets: $40-$45. For tickets go to newcityplayers.org or contact [email protected] or (954) 376-6114.
