(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- East Lynne Theater Company will present Samuel D. Hunter's award-winning play A Case for the Existence of God from September 18 through October 12, 2024. Directed by East Lynne's Artistic Director Craig Fols, the play revolves around two men--one Black, one white; one gay, one straight; both single fathers of young daughters—who form an unlikely bond inside an office cubicle.

Fols says that it is one of the “best plays he has ever seen” and is excited to bring the first true contemporary American piece to the stage at East Lynne.

“This is play about the American experience right now–white straight man, gay Black man, both of whom are dedicated to being good fathers and fighting tremendous obstacles,” he said. “It’s a truly great modern American play that is really breaking the mold here at East Lynne, which for years has traditionally produced more historical shows. Even our last production, the updated version of Dial M for Murder, had one foot in the past and one in the future. Case fits in beautifully with our new mission.”

(LEFT) James Alton (RIGHT) Jered McLenigan

The two-person cast includes Philadelphia-based actor and three-time Barrymore Award winner Jered McLenigan as Ryan and James Alton as Keith, who, for the past two summers, played writer and activist James Baldwin during East Lynne’s Juneteenth celebration.

“East Lynne doesn’t have a company of actors, but I consider them in our company,” Fols said. “They are two really great—not ‘OK’—great actors whose challenge is to expose what it means to be a good man and a good father in America. You don’t often see a production about single fathers, but this really resonates with people.”

A Case for the Existence of God was named Best Play by the New York Drama Critics’ Circle for the 2021-22 season. Playwright Hunter also wrote the award-winning play The Whale, as well as the critically acclaimed film of the same name. Themes of empathy, financial security and fatherhood feature prominently in both The Whale and Case.

“Case is an emotional wipeout, but it’s deeply optimistic, too,” Fols said. “And whether these characters get their way or not, there is a light at end of tunnel: God.”

The show runs 7:00pm on the following Wednesdays through Saturdays: September 18-21, September 25-28, October 2-5, October 9-12. General admission tickets are $35, seniors $30, students and military $20. East Lynne is located at 500 Hughes St., Cape May. More information, as well as tickets, can be found at EastLynneTheater.org.

Founded in 1980, East Lynne Theater Company (ELTC) was the first theater in the country with the unique mission of presenting and preserving America's theatrical heritage. The New York Times listed ELTC as one of the 75 top summer theaters in North America. In 2018, the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly passed a joint legislative resolution recognizing ELTC as “one of the state’s most important cultural treasures.”