A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

By Samuel D. Hunter

WILLIAMSTON THEATRE

WILLIAMSTON, MI

FEBRUARY 14 - MARCH 16, 2025

A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

By Samuel D. Hunter

WILLIAMSTON THEATRE

WILLIAMSTON, MI

FEBRUARY 14 - MARCH 16, 2025

DIRECTED BY JASMINE RIVERA

STARRING

ANTHONY CASON, JR.

RYAN PATRICK WELSH

SCENERY BY KIRK A. DOMER

LIGHTING BY HARLEY MIAH

SOUND BY BRIAN A. COLE

COSTUMES BY MICHAELA VICTORIA

PROPS BY KINZA PARKER

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY BY ALEXIS BLACK

STAGE MANAGED BY STEFANIE DIN

PA/ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER - ADAM KRUGER

APPRENTICE/ASM - BEA BEETHEM

TECH DIRECTOR - AARON DELNAY

PRODUCTION PHOTOS - CHRIS PURCHIS

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Opening night for A Case for the Existence of God at Williamston Theatre has come and gone. It was an evening of laughter, tears and long, deeply needed hugs, and I feel profoundly grateful to have had another opportunity to direct for the team at Williamston--it's become a home and artistic refuge, and I'm constantly astonished by how welcoming, generous and kind the people there are to me.

Theatre at the best of times can be a hard sell, but with our foundational institutions and values under attack it may be especially difficult to convince folks to take the time to support the arts. However, the arts are the frontline for reminding one other of our common humanity and our capacity for good, and for kindling hope when all seems lost.

A Case for the Existence of God is the story of two people whose lives intersect at a time when they need each other most. As individuals, they struggle mightily to build a world for their loved ones, but their stories are a heartbreaking quest that results in broken dreams and failure. As they journey together, however, they find consolation in something unexpected—each other.

When I first read the script, I was struck by the story’s simplicity and themes. It reminded me of the spiritual concept of “accompaniment”, a term currently used in peace activism, human rights, and pastoral support when speaking of accompanying the ill, the poor, those caught in prison and detention systems, political dissidents, refugees, those suffering occupation, victims of torture and other forms of violence. Accompaniment does not necessarily mean finding a solution to problems, but a willingness to share in the fate and experiences of those on the journey for as much as one can.

I learned about accompaniment firsthand from my late friend Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, who traveled the world to accompany political prisoners, hostages in Iran, refugees, people in Haiti, and victims of US bombings in the Middle East. Tom would sit with them quietly, sometimes holding hands, simply present for those who needed support, strength and the dignity of being seen and heard.

But accompaniment need not be so political or grandly heroic. In the case of this play, the two characters Ryan and Keith accompany one another through their joys and sufferings, defeats and triumphs. Ultimately, they cannot solve one another’s problems, but they are present for each other as friends and brothers.

The two actors Ryan Patrick Welsh and Anthony Cason are masters of their art, and working with them as a director was a joy. There was little I needed to do to shape their performances, but the one key direction I could give was this: simply let your characters learn to love one another. Then let that love guide you for the rest of the story.

“Love one another” is a simple commandment that seems to go very unheeded nowadays. “The strong shall rule the weak” is the messaging of our time, and as the onslaught of repression continues it will be more and more important to tell stories that remind us that all human beings are precious, worthy of rights, liberty and dignity. The arts and artists must do their work of stepping into the dangerous times at hand and hold the line of human decency.

I thank Tony, John, Emily, Chris, Stefanie and the rest of the Williamston team for their courage in telling crucial stories in a community in need of diverse voices and perspectives, and in widening the hearts of those who pass through their theater doors.

For the practice of theatre is accompaniment. Throughout rehearsals, previews and performances audience members have been brought to laughter and tears, some even reaching for one another in the darkness. For ninety minutes, a tiny community of human beings becomes immersed in the journey of strangers, traveling with them for just a little while, but experiencing profound change that can last for lifetimes.

I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of this little bit of accompaniment. I hope others will see the show, and journey with us for a little while.

In the end, we might find each other.