Production marks first co-production between PTC and Geva Theatre
[SALT LAKE CITY, UT MARCH 7, 2025] — Pioneer Theatre Company (PTC), Utah’s premier professional theatre company in residence at the University of Utah, presents 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.
Timothy Douglas directs A Case for the Existence of God. Previous productions he’s directed at PTC include Native Gardens, Clybourne Park, and Fences. He has made productions for Arena Stage, Cleveland Playhouse, Denver Center, Downstage New Zealand, Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Juilliard School, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, Milwaukee Rep, Off Broadway, Portland Center Stage, Red Bull, Steppenwolf, among many others, including Yale Rep with the world premiere of August Wilson’s Radio Golf.
Douglas is joined on the Creative Team by Scenic and Costume Designer Lex Liang (PTC’s Native Gardens, Christmas in Connecticut); Lighting Designer Yael Lubetzky (PTC’s The Will Rogers Follies); and Sound Designer Matt Mitchell (Alice By Heart at WSU). Casting is by Geoff Josselson, CSA. Emily Roth* is Production Stage Manager.
TICKETS
A Case for the Existence of God runs at the Meldrum Theatre at the Einar Nielsen Field House from March 28—April 12, 2025. Tickets are now on sale via the link below or by calling the Pioneer Theatre Company Box Office at 801-581-6961. Tickets for patrons in grades K-12 are half-price Monday through Thursday. A select number of $43 tickets are available for every performance with code PTC63.
A special “pay what you can” performance, made possible through PTC’s Curtain Call for All initiative, will take place Monday, March 31 at 7:00 PM. Curtain Call for All tickets are available by calling or visiting the PTC Box Office.
PRESS CONTACT
Joshua Black
Director of Marketing and Communications
[email protected]
TICKETING INFORMATION
A Case for the Existence of God
by Samuel D. Hunter
“A Case for the Existence of God” is presented in arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
WHEN
March 28-April 12, 2025
TIMES
Monday – Thursday, 7:00 PM
Friday and Saturday, 7:30 PM
Saturday, 2:00 PM
WHERE
A Case for the Existence of God will play the Meldrum Theatre at the Einar Nielsen Field House
375 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City
PRICES
$44 – $57 in advance; $5 more when purchased on day of show
Students K – 12 or ages 5-18 are half-price Monday – Thursday
Curtain Call for All (“pay what you can”) performance: Monday, March 31 at 7:00 PM
ASL-Interpreted performance: Monday, April 7 at 7:00 PM
Discounts available for University of Utah students, staff, and faculty. Visit PioneerTheatre.org/UniversityofUtah for more details.
MORE INFO
Box Office: 801-581-6961
Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday – Friday
PTC Show Listing: A Case for the Existence of God
CAST
Keith: Jon Hudson Odom*
Ryan: Lee Osorio*
CREATIVE TEAM
Director: Timothy Douglas
Scenic & Costume Designer: Lex Liang
Lighting Designer: Yael Lubetzky
Sound Designer: Matt Mitchell
Production Stage Manager: Emily Roth*
Casting: Geoff Josselson, CSA
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
ABOUT PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC)
Now celebrating its 63rd season, the award-winning PTC is Utah’s premiere professional theatre company and leading arts organization of the West. Led by Artistic Director Karen Azenberg and Managing Director Adrian Budhu, PTC presents world-class productions that celebrate diversity in culture and society and serve as the connecting bridge between art and scholarship as an affiliate of the University of Utah. For more information, visit PioneerTheatre.org.
