“We share a specific kind of sadness, you and me.” Ryan’s words reverberate through the theatre for a moment after he’s uttered them, and make ripples throughout the rest of the play. Samuel D. Hunter’s A Case for the Existence of God is a powerful story of friendship, fatherhood, and finding your strength. Directed by chief engineer Ted Dykstra, Coal Mine Theatre’s production stars Noah Reid and Mazin Elsadig in a stunning two-hander that stays with you long after the final grain of sand has fallen through the hourglass. 

Ryan and Keith met at daycare; their daughters are the same age and are in the same class. Ryan is looking to purchase back a plot of land which used to belong to his great-grandparents, but has not been in the family in decades. Keith’s a mortgage broker, and agrees to help Ryan get a loan to purchase this property. But this is just how the relationship begins, throughout the course of the play their friendship develops as they bond over fatherhood, the struggles they’re facing in their relationships, as well as trying to help Ryan buy this property. However, the two eventually hit rock bottom in their own ways and it feels like everything we’ve witnessed has all been for naught. But the epilogue of the play instills a sense of hope, and the comfort that only your chosen family can bring.

Going into this play, I wasn’t sure if there was going to be some kind of philosophical or existential debate between the two characters; in that way, the title is mildly misleading. Rather, we get an examination of an adult male friendship, and all of the issues they’re facing, both together and alone. Ryan is worried about breaking generation cycles of abuse and addiction, and is determined to make life better for his daughter. Keith faces homophobia, racism, and is battling within the adoption system for his daughter who he’s raised from birth. These two men face very different struggles and yet, as Ryan states, they do share a sense of sadness, duty, and longing which they bond over and work through. Yet it doesn’t feel like Hunter was trying to shoehorn in all of these topics. You’re really just a fly on the wall over the course of a few months of the lives of these men. It feels real in a way that some plays can’t achieve.

Part of that verisimilitude is the chemistry between Reid and Elsadig; there is an ease and a comfort which makes you feel like they’ve known each other forever. I must admit, I was initially star struck to see Noah Reid in person: I love his performance as Patrick on “Schitt’s Creek” and yet was also thankful that the “Outer Range” hair has not been a permanent change. However it wasn’t long before I totally lost myself in the story and his charming portrayal of Ryan. Elsadig gives a nuanced and passionate performance as Keith. There’s an earnest intensity which he brings to this character which I really enjoyed. His breakdown at the end of the play is masterfully done; I couldn’t help but cry, I felt like I could feel every single emotion which was coursing through his body at that moment. Having seen Elsadig on stage before, it was no shock at all that he could pull of such a complex, beautiful character like Keith. 

Nick Blais has outdone himself yet again with the beauty of the set and lighting design for this production. You get the immediate sense that you’re in a posh office of some sort; the full glass wall, plenty of windows, and sparse decoration have the hallmarks of a more swanky situation than Ryan is used to finding himself in. However, this single set becomes every location in the play, with changes indicated by a change of lighting, the addition of a baby monitor, or even just them rolling their chairs together so that we know they’re sitting on a couch. These little snapshots of their life together over the months we follow them are therefore easy to follow, and makes the play feel accessible. It’s always a joy to come in and see the Coal Mine set up in a totally different configuration than the previous production. It truly is the beauty of a black-box theatre and Blais certainly makes use of that whenever he can. 

I’ve been pondering the title quite a bit since seeing the play. A Case for the Existence of God…but what case is being presented? Is the proof that our fortunes can change at the drop of a hat, somehow a part of a bigger plan? I think it’s the hope that is found at the end of the play; the knowledge that everyone has turned out okay and that they’ve remained a family in a way. Friendship and Love are where we can find God in this crazy world we live in, and I think we need that message now more than ever.

A Case for the Existence of God runs at the Coal Mine Theatre until December 1. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.coalminetheatre.com/existence

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Cover Photo: Mazin Elsadig and Noah Reid. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

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