"Hand to God" at The Laboratory Theater of Florida

‘SUP, NERDS?!

Outside of the usual manga, gaming or film blogging routine, it is time now for something completely different. I recently attended a play at The Laboratory Theater of Florida, which greatly resonated with me on many different levels: Hand to God.

HAND TO GOD

Written by Robert Askins, Hand to God is about a tiny youth group that creates puppets to perform skits for church. Pastor Greg asked recently widowed Margery to run it, enlisting her teenage son Jason, his crush Jessica and rowdy Timmy. None of the kids take the group seriously, but Jason harbors a deep attachment to his puppet Tyrone, which he never removes from his hand. As conflict stirs Tyrone speaks more, consuming Jason’s thoughts and controlling his actions. And yes, there is blood.

Conflict

I am straddling a fine line here since don’t want to spoil the contents of the play. It is definitely worth seeing, no matter your religious affiliation. Putting comedy aside, I think Hand to God poses questions about expression in church, an issue every character handles negatively. Nobody knows how to healthily express love or desire while Margery and Jason exclusively mourns the loss of a family member.

A shot of the stage. You wouldn't believe how it looks later.

Pastor Greg and Timmy lust for Margery—both of them inappropriate suitors given their respective statuses as leader and minor. I take it that Timmy comes from a rough upbringing and yearns for a maternal figure. Jason struggles with abandonment, questioning Margery’s love for him and his deceased father.

Aside from family drama, Jason faces the challenges of adolescence and crushes on Jessica. Tyrone becomes his outlet to express things he could never do himself, divulging secrets and devilish thoughts. As Tyrone becomes more vocal, it allows a lot of room for the audience to speculate whether the puppet is possessed or if this unassuming teen has deep-rooted psychological problems.

Personal Anecdotes about Expression

Assuming at least the adults have a genuine faith, I found it interesting that the characters hardly seek help from God let alone someone outside of the conflict. Margery insists Pastor Greg keep quiet than call the police or even other members of the congregation. This proves to be more damaging in the long run.

The lack expression and being unable to convey information reminds me of the time I spent around Christian people during high school and college. This is not to say Christians or other organized religions are bad, but I guess I can somewhat relate to oppression around religious people.

I know that many seek a church for a sense of community, comfort and self-betterment. From firsthand experience, I’ve received plenty of backlash from religious people for simply disagreeing on certain subjects and not fitting their image of what a good, faithful person is.

For years I felt it was easier to just shut up around some Christian people who were very close to me in order reduce conflict. As a result, I snapped last year because my personality was compromised far too long. I felt my own version of Tyrone emerge. But damn, it sure feels good to let him out.

I’ve heard the hushed whispers of controversy within church and youth group, which in retrospect deeply saddens me. Instead of being ostracized as sinners, I really wish people didn't gossip. It frustrates me that the people who needed the most help were sometimes demonized.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

Alright, I know you aren’t here to read about my personal stories, but I do want to applaud the cast at The Laboratory Theater of Florida once more for a wonderful performance. This was my first time at this theatre and I am certainly marking my calendar for their upcoming shows. Anyway a few comments on individual performances:

From L to R: Albertson, Sanders, Tyrone, Coe, Weymouth, Johnson & Director Nykkie Rizley

I adored Steven Coe’s performance as Jason & Tyrone. At the beginning I felt it was difficult to distinguish the differences between the boy and puppet, but it makes sense with how the character changes. Once Tyrone awakened, he became the most powerful person(?) in the room.

There was something about Pastor Greg that tugged at my brain. It was like I somehow knew this person. After the show I spoke with Ken Johnson and wanted to make sure I haven't met him before. His acting was highly convincing and there was something so familiar about his on-stage persona.

Jessica is in my opinion the most likeable character and I couldn’t help but find Sofia Weymouth’s take on her to be so cute. Jessica is sort of a punk take on the girl next door, with attitude and eye rolls galore. I was especially impressed during, er, a very special scene by how Weymouth’s speech transitioned between puppet to Jessica and back again.

I think TJ Albertson and Shelley Sanders mesh well together and had the strongest character dynamic. I was delighted by how the Timmy and Margaret held themselves in front of the youth group versus their private conversations.

GO SEE THIS SHOW

If you couldn’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed The Laboratory Theater of Florida’s performance of Hand to God. Go buy tickets. If you’re in Southwest Florida and you’ve got a bit of free time the next couple weeks, I urge you to attend. No excuses, click this link.

LATER, DWEEBS!

Loverly Liz

Realizing I'm not a Frank Capra Fan

‘SUP, NERDS?!

I haven’t written about movies recently and well, there’s something finally worth discussing. Upon recently watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, I've concluded that I am not a Frank Capra fan.

No disrespect to the man, this is still an awesome movie! However, I certainly don’t jive with Capra’s story direction. You may remember a little blurb about It's a Wonderful Life last Christmas, but after seeing Mr. Smith these feelings I've discussed in the past have only been reinforced.

The Premise

Our lovely protagonists working to pass a bill.

The fantastic Jimmy Stewart stars as Jeff Smith, a seasoned leader of the Boy Rangers, who is appointed to represent in the Senate. Smith is well-loved, good guy who would make for an excellent image in the Senate, but he is selected primarily for his lack of experience in politics, ultimately making him easy to manipulate.

His fellow state senator, Joseph Paine played by Claude Rains, was a good friend of Jeff's father. Buuuuuut, he secretly supports corrupt businessmen despite his good reputation. More importantly though, his daughter is hot. And totally single. (Smith really likes her.)

As Smith begins his new career, his assistant Saunders takes him for a complete fool. It really brings her to question her career, personal life and the American political machine. But Smith's optimism and respect towards women really grows on her...

Although Smith is what us modern folk call a n00b, he proposes to build a new Boy Rangers camp exactly where his political opponents plan to build a money-grubbing dam. The film focuses on Paine and his partners first attempting to trick Smith into supporting the dam to later wreck every aspect of his life as he defends his camp project.

Pacing & Art Direction

The thing with old films is that they are much slower than modern movies. I don't count that against the film, but I love how dialogue driven the movie is. It felt interesting throughout and every scene contributes in some way. Time isn't wasted.

There's a montage prominently listed in the opening credits which I looked forward to seeing. The montage is the only part of the film that feels slowed down as Smith soaks in the monuments of D.C. when he first arrives. It poured patriotism into my heart and demonstrates how much of a good boi Smith is.

I am particularly impressed by the use of sets and scenery. I love that the scenes at the Lincoln Memorial were actually filmed there. There were many pivotal moments in that location. The Senate is an incredible set that gets a lot of miles with interesting angles and feels energetic. I am most fond of the revolving spectators and being able to see reactions from the crowds.

One of my favorite shots is when Smith has a conversation with Paine's daughter. The camera is set on a closeup of Smith's hat as he fumbles around, unable to contain his feelings for her. Not quite dramatic as this scene, but the hat fumbling continues later in the film as Smith expresses romantic feelings.

Another detail I adore: Smith's 5 o'clock shadow that appears near the end of the filibuster. *mic drop*

Story & Acting

So what has made me realize that I'm not a Frank Capra fan is that his films are too happy. Is that such a thing? I don't consider myself an pessimistic person, but parts of the movie were so cheesy. I'm glad I watched It's a Wonderful Life first, knowing he is a bit of a cornball, but I couldn't help but cringe when Senate-henchmen were injuring children and Smith's general positivity & naivety. Although I loved watching the movie, perhaps I don't agree with the interpretation of the message? I do believe we can make great changes in America, but Smith is such an unrealistic character that I cannot imagine surviving our government.

What's not to love about Jean Arthur??

Apparently it took a while for Capra to find a someone to buy Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and it also received poor reception from politicians and journalists alike. During pre-screenings they would complain that the film portrayed them as villains and crooks. With the current midterm elections, this film couldn't have been re-released through Fathom Events at a more perfect time because it does show how awful 99.9% of our politicians are. An older couple who sat a few rows ahead of me in the empty theatre commented, "We really wish more people showed. This movie is too real."

Aside from my issues with the film feeling too unrealistic, there's an all-star cast. I am a huge Jimmy Stewart fan, but Jean Arthur steals the screen. She is such a strong female lead and well-respected character for her career and intelligence. Not to mention, she's a beauty with such a cute, croaky voice and a strong fashion sense. Arthur can go one scene as a powerful person into another as the comedic centerpiece. Hands down, best character.

To not dismiss the talent of the other actors, but I recognized nearly everyone in the film and they all felt convincing. The children were also stellar as I often giggled at well-executed jokes and lines.

CONCLUSIONARY THOUGHTS

I loved and hated It's a Wonderful Life. Capra is just too positive, but he has such great art direction and he certainly knows how to cast. I highly urge you all to give Mr. Smith Goes to Washington a chance. It's well paced and the characters are charming or equally awful in their own ways.

LATER, DWEEBS!

Loverly Liz