Saturday, March 17, 2012

Theater Review: Hand to God

Steven Boyer. Photo Photo by Gerry Goodstein.
From Demon Possession to Puppet Porn, This isn't Your Typical Church Ministry (Thank God)
By Lauren Yarger
It's Avenue Q meets "The Exorcist" in Robert Askins' dark (very, very dark) comedy Hand to God playing an encore Off-Broadway run at The Ensemble Studio Theatre.

Margery (Geneva Carr) starts a puppet ministry at her church to keep herself busy after her husband's death. What she doesn't count on is that her teen son, Jason (Steven Boyer), possesses some intense puppetry skills. "Tyrone," a wide-eyed, red-haired sock puppet with teeth suddenly takes up permanent residence on Jason's arm and starts speaking for the boy. He sounds a lot like the devil. He tells Jason that his mother doesn't really love him, that trying to be good is a waste of time and that he ought to act on his lustful impulses for Jessica (Megan Hill), a virginal member of the puppet ministry.

Margery seems to hear the puppet's message, if not audibly. She throws good behavior, and the unwanted attentions of her geeky pastor, Greg (Scott Sowers), aside and begins a sado-masochistic sexual relationship with Timothy (Bobby Moreno), a troubled youth and reluctant member of the puppet ministry.

Jason's desire to do what's right is in constant battle with Tyrone's desire to set the boy free. The puppet sinks his teeth in, quite literally, to wreak havoc in the small southern church, especially when Jason discovers his mother's affair with Timothy. (Rebecca Lord-Surrat designs the Sunday school type room).

Jessica tries to help by donning her own puppet, which engages in a prolonged sexual encounter with Tyrone while the two humans chat. This scene borrows from the puppet-sex scene in Avenue Q and can only be classified as puppet porn.

Boyer skillfully creates two unique characters: shy, meek Jason and demonic Tyrone. Carr impressively delivers a wide range of emotions. Director Moritz von Stuelpnagel somehow didn't notice that everyone is yelling at the top of their lungs for no reason throughout, however.

While Askins' script is irreverent and depicts stereotypically repressed, stupid Christians, it doesn't appear to be motivated by a desire to bash Christianity so much as to try to present an alternative to it. Tyrone delivers a prologue and an epilogue to the tale, both of which have the message that we should just give in to natural, sinful desires. He suggests that making rules about what is right and wrong (which is done by man, not God, according to him) is ultimately a recipe for failure and frustration. Let yourself off the hook for everything you have ever done or needed, he tells us, and you might just see Jesus where you saw the devil before.

An anti-Christian sentiment exudes more from the audience than from the misguided show itself. Though there are some funny lines and humorous movements by the puppets, the script isn't witty enough to elicit the wild, raucous laughter generated. That comes from people who are part of a popular culture in the United States which at the moment delights in anything anti-Christian and this show is capitalizing on that. Broadway's commercially successful Book of Mormon changed what is considered decent or taboo when it comes to religion and there probably will be many more irreverent shows to come. You know what they say about the love of money . . .

Hand to God indwells Ensemble Studio Theatre, 549 West 52nd St., through Sunday, April 1. To order tickets call 866-811-4111 or visit www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/134.

Christians might also like to know:
-- Strong language throughout
-- God's name used in vain
-- Sexual dialogue
-- Sexual activity (puppets and people)
-- Pentagram on the floor for the second act
-- Violence
-- Blood
-- A bible is ripped apart
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Gracewell Prodiuctions

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Our reviews are professional reviews written without a religious bias. At the end of them, you can find a listing of language, content or theological issues that Christians might want to know about when deciding which shows to see.

** Mature indicates that the show has posted an advisory because of content. Usually this means I would recommend no one under the age of 16 attend.

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

Theater Critic Lauren Yarger

My Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists. Her play concept, "From Reel to Real: The Jennifer O'Neill Story" was presented as part of the League of professional Theatre Women's Julia's reading Room Series in New York. Shifting from reviewing to producing, Yarger owns Gracewell Productions, which produced the Table Reading Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT. She trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Intensive and other training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run. She was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She wrote reviews of Broadway and Off-Broadway theater (the only ones you can find in the US with an added Christian perspective) at http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/.

She is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection (http://ctarts.blogspot.com), an award-winning website featuring theater and arts news for the state. She was a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com. She previously served as theater reviewer for the Manchester Journal-Inquirer, Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp.com and as Connecticut and New York reviewer for American Theater Web.

She is a Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter of the League of Professional Theatre Women. She is a former vice president and voting member of The Drama Desk.

She is a freelance writer and playwright (member Dramatists Guild of America). She is a member if the The Outer Critics Circle (producer of the annual awards ceremony) and a member of The League of Professional Theatre Women, serving as Co-Founder of the Connecticut Chapter. Yarger was a book reviewer for Publishers Weekly A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger also worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and served for nine years as the Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. She lives with her husband in West Granby, CT. They have two adult children.

Copyright

All material is copyright 2008- 2024 by Lauren Yarger. Reviews and articles may not be reprinted without permission. Contact reflectionsinthelight@gmail.com

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Key to Content Notes:

God's name taken in vain -- means God or Jesus is used in dialogue without speaking directly to or about them.

Language -- means some curse words are used. "Minor" usually means the words are not too strong or that it only occurs once or twice throughout the show.

Strong Language -- means some of the more heavy duty curse words are used.

Nudity -- means a man or woman's backside, a man's lower front or a woman's front are revealed.

Scantily clad -- means actors' private areas are technically covered, but I can see a lot of them.

Sexual Language -- means the dialogue contains sexually explicit language but there's no action.

Sexual Activity -- means a man and woman are performing sexual acts.

Adultery -- Means a married man or woman is involved sexually with someone besides their spouse. If this is depicted with sexual acts on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Sex Outside of Marriage -- means a man and woman are involved sexually without being married. If this is depicted sexually on stage, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Homosexuality -- means this is in the show, but not physically depicted.

Homosexual activity -- means two persons of the same sex are embracing/kissing. If they do more than that, the list would include "sexual activity" as well.

Cross Dresser -- Means someone is dressing as the opposite sex. If they do more than that on stage the listing would include the corresponding "sexual activity" and/or "homosexual activity" as well.

Cross Gender -- A man is playing a female part or a woman is playing a man's part.

Suggestive Dancing -- means dancing contains sexually suggestive moves.

Derogatory (category added Fall 2012) Language or circumstances where women or people of a certain race are referred to or treated in a negative and demeaning manner.

Other content matters such as torture, suicide, or rape will be noted, with details revealed only as necessary in the review itself.

The term "throughout" added to any of the above means it happens many times throughout the show.

Reviewing Policy

I receive free seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows made available to all voting members of the Outer Critics Circle. Journalistically, I provide an unbiased review and am under no obligation to make positive statements. Sometimes shows do not make tickets available to reviewers. If these are shows my readers want to know about I will purchase a ticket. If a personal friend is involved in a production, I'll let you know, but it won't influence a review. If I feel there is a conflict, I won't review their portion of the production.

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