EST/Youngblood presents
Hand to God
by Robert Askins*
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel*
October 31 - April 1, 2012
Christian Puppet Ministries are a great way to teach children about the Bible. Each child gets a puppet, and each puppet gets his own personality. But children can be fooled by Satan's tricks. For even within the sanctuary of the Christian Puppet Ministry, the devil lurks. The people of Cypress, Texas were good Christians. Until one day at Puppet Ministry, a boy named Jason, and his puppet Tyrone, let the devil in. This is their story.
Cast & Creative
Jason / Tyrone - Steven Boyer*+
Margery - Geneva Carr*+
Timothy - Bobby Moreno*+
Jessica - Megan Hill*+
Pastor Greg - Scott Sowers*+
Production Stage Manager - Michele Ebel
Assistant Stage Manager - Julie Watson+
Sound Design - Chris Barlow
Lighting Design - Matthew Richards
Costume Design - Sydney Maresca
Set Design - Rebecca Lord-Surratt
Puppet Design - Marte Johanne Ekhougen
Fight Choreographer - Robert Westley
Props Manager - Deb Gaouette
*denotes EST member + denotes Equity Member
Reviews
"Satan, the great tempter of men's souls, takes deceptively innocuous form in the frisky new comedy Hand to God, by Robert Askins. Mr. Askins possesses a perfect ear. The cast is wonderful across the board. Bobby Moreno is terrific, all pent-up lust and rage. But first honors must go to Steve Boyer, who truly gives two distinct performances - one all bewildered innocence, the other pure beastly vulgarity - as Jason and Tyrone." - Charles Isherwood, New York Times
"Robert Askins's daffily devout black comedy is just the sort of juicy little morsel the hard-bitten theatervore hopes to find, and seldom does, Off Broadway." - New York Magazine, Critic's Pick!
"Wickedly twisted! ....Watching Steven Boyer play both Jason and Tyrone-switching back and forth between contrasting personae with ease and vast vocal range-is a big hallelujah." - Time Out NY
"Joining a rich current crop of shows about the Almighty, from The Book of Mormon to Sister Act, Robert Askins' Hand to God, might just be the quirkiest and funniest of them all!" - Theatermania
"This fantastic cast of five-six, if you count Tyrone-had me alternatively gasping for laughs, covering my eyes and jumping in my seat. ...the sock puppet sex in this production makes Avenue Q look like the teacup ride at Disneyland. A devilishly good time!" - NYTheatre
"Hand to God is riotously funny... For anyone who likes fun, puppets, and has confusing feelings about religion, the play is not to be missed." - New York Theatre Review
"Director Moritz von Stuelpnagel has added some gleeful comic sauce to Askins' script and, with a tireless cast of five who take no prisoners, keeps it all working, all the time." - Don't Miss it
"The funniest play about faith, hands down, on the contemporary stage." - Solange on Theater