"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