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Samuel D. Hunter’s new play, currently in previews at Signature Theatre, is an auspicious beginning for his residency there. This time out, Idaho’s gift to theater is operating in intimate mode. The play has only two actors, one set and one 90-minute act. Two young single fathers in Twin Falls meet at the daycare center their toddler daughters attend. Ryan (Will Brill) is straight, white, poor and in the middle of a divorce. Keith (Kyle Beltran) is gay, black, middle class and unattached. Despite their many differences, they are united by a fear of losing their daughters, Ryan to a custody battle, Keith to a possible hitch in the proceeding to convert her status from foster child to adoptee. Ryan wants to buy some acreage that once belonged to his family in the hope that it will enhance his case for custody. He turns rather reluctantly to Keith, who is a mortgage broker. We witness a series of meetings during which their business relationship becomes increasingly mixed with friendship. The word we most often hear is “sorry” as they struggle to bridge the communications gaps linked to their difference of race, class, educational level and sexual orientation. I won’t reveal more except to point out that the play is not a comedy. Don’t be intimidated by the grandiose title: there is no theological discussion here. Perhaps the title relates to the twist at the end of the play that provides an unexpected source of satisfaction. The two actors, who were college roommates, are both excellent. The cubicle set by Arnulfo Maldonado representing Keith’s office (and, rather confusingly, other locations as well) looks a bit lost on the large stage. Perhaps it is a metaphor for the constrained nature of the characters’ lives. David Cromer directs with his customary assurance. Of the several plays by Hunter that I have seen, this was the most emotionally gratifying. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.
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