Samuel D. Hunter is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of our leading contemporary American playwrights. You may not know his name yet, but he is well-revered in New York. Surprisingly, he grew up in Idaho, which is hardly a sure road to Broadway. No matter. He has found his way to success, scooping up major awards along the way.

Yes, he earned the MacArthur “Genius Award” fellowship. Yes, he had a huge break with his play and screenplay, The Whale (2022), for which Brendan Fraser received the Oscar for best actor in a leading role. Yes, A Case for the Existence of God was named Best Play of 2022 by the New York Drama Critics Circle.

Now playing at Oregon Contemporary Theatre in a tantalizing production sensitively directed by Craig Willis, this one-act drama is not to be missed. 

In spite of its title, the play is not religious. What it’s showing us is how two men with very different backgrounds can learn the difficult task of empathizing with each other.

The action takes place in a modest mortgage broker’s office in Twin Falls, Idaho. The mortgage broker, Keith, is gay, Black and in the process of adopting a little girl. He is visited at his office one day by Ryan, who works at a yogurt plant. Ryan also has custody, at least for the time being, of his own little daughter. The two toddlers become friends at their pre-school.

Ryan shows up at Keith’s office one day with the naive idea that Keith can arrange a loan that would allow him to purchase some acreage once owned by his pioneering family decades ago. Unlike Keith, his upbringing hasn’t provided opportunities for advancement, and he believes owning the homestead would allow him to thrive. He would love to give his daughter a heritage to be proud of.

Keith and Ryan, who in the past would never have expected to develop a friendship, are currently undergoing the same difficulties as single males, each raising a tiny child. Gradually they begin to trust and like each other. But that’s only part of the journey. Life is full of unexpected complications, especially in a heartfelt play.

I can’t imagine two better actors than Chauncey Mauney as Ryan and Jonathan Thompson as Keith. Both reveal much about themselves simply by how they dress, then how they talk and how they remember being in the same high school. Back then, Ryan was a popular jock, while Keith was quiet and relatively affluent. When he went to college, he studied early music. Now, as a small-time mortgage broker, he has learned what the real world expects of him.

The script offers a strikingly unusual change of direction at the end. Consider it a puzzle that might take a little time to decipher. And beware, for some in the audience, the play is a tearjerker, so it’s best to take a hanky just in case.

The collaborative design team includes Jeffrey Cook (scenic design), Chad Kushuba (sound design), Laura Leader (properties design), L’Via Rodriguez (lighting design) and Lilli Turner (costume design). The production stage manager is Riley Allen.

A Case for the Existence of God is playing at Oregon Contemporary Theatre (OCT) through May 3, including Sunday matinees at 2 pm on April 26 and May 3. Call 541-465-1506, or visit OCTheatre.org for tickets and information.