Hand To God - Give Praise!

Best Bit: A beautiful girl meets boy scene plays out on the swings, with Sarah Stiles as Jessica and Steven Boyer as Jason/Tyrone. Here we see the innocence of looking for love and acceptance by presenting our best self but the devilish Tyrone exposes Jason's naughty thoughts which is humorous.

Any boring bits? Personally, I did not like the epilogue. I felt it was unnecessary and showed insecurity in the ability of the audience to take with them the message they felt. Ironically, much like one does after a church service. There is also a puppet sex scene which goes on for way to long, but hey maybe puppets have that ability.

Who would like it? This is definitely geared to a younger generation who will hopefully look past the silliness and profanities to see the deeper meaning.

Who wouldn't like it? Those who tend to mind their "Ps and Qs" will find this quite difficult to sit through. It's a rollercoaster and might be too crass for some.

Morning after effect: Still flabbergasted by Steven Boyer who has played the part of Jason/Tyrone for four years, and continues to deliver a spirited performance.

Verdict: Four out of Five stars

Hand To God is a fantastic play that challenges the audience with its bold themes of faith and family. My gut feeling before the show was that the play would be blasphemous and lack substance, however it's quite the contrary! The performances and direction are outstanding and keep you giggling through the cringe-worthy moments and profanities, and taking deep thoughtful sighs when you are out of breath from laughing. Did I mention there is a demonic puppet trying to kill everyone at the Christian puppet ministry in Cypress, Texas? The five intriguing characters, or rather six, counting the puppet, will take you on a roller-coaster ride of love, the unexpected and facing your inner demons.

The real miracle of this production is Steven Boyer who seamlessly and simultaneously plays puppet (Tyrone) and person (Jason). The performance is so impressive that I kept having to remind myself Tyrone was actually Jason's hand and both in fact were being played by Boyer. Puppetry is a tricky ordeal on its own but to play two very complex characters in a fast past show is a sign of true talent. The role of Jason/Tyrone was originated in 2011 by Boyer with The Ensemble Studio Theatre where Hand To God had huge success, moving to Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2014, and now enjoying a successful run at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. Boyer continues to play the role with such conviction despite its challenging nature and four year long run, the time between these characters and actor is apparent and well worth applaud.

Boyer made his Broadway debut on this very stage in 2002 playing Gilley in Herb Gardner's I'm Not Rappaport. With his return to the Booth theatre he received a 2015 Tony Nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Play, amongst the likes of Bradley Cooper, Ben Miles, Bill Nighy and Alex Sharp (winner).

As Boyer frantically moves from one line to the next, interacting with his possessed puppet and the three bizarre characters one certainly wonders "Who thought of this!?" Enter writer Robert Askins, born and raised in Texas with a mother who truly ran a Christian puppet ministry. The playwright knew he wanted to be on the stage from a young age, initially he dreamed of acting but soon realized his voice could be heard through several characters and Hand To God certainly has its audience listening. Askins received a 2015 Tony nomination for Best Play, alongside the very gifted Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Best Director) and Geneva Carr (Best Actress).

Hand To God is not everyone's cup of tea due to its pace and vulgarities; however for a fun night out and jaw dropping story line it is sure to please. Broadway's final performance takes place January 3rd before transferring to the West End.

Reviewed by Nicola Quinn

September 12th 2015
Booth Theatre, New York City
Find me on Twitter: @newyorktheatre

View our show pages for more information about Hand to God, Booth Theater.