Despite being tagged as “profane but profound,” Hand to God is more of a puerile presentation of puppetry as a psychological retreat turned takeover. You won’t find God in the Texas small town Church basement setting except sometimes in side-of-stage projections simulating Christian images and a stained glass window bearing scriptural behavioral messages. As part of Florida Studio Theater’s admirably-conceived-of edgier-than-usual Stage III series, Hand to God accordingly de-emphasizes scenery to concentrate on exploring weighty issues. These, accomplished director Jason Cannon explains, include “death, depression, repression, guilt, hypocrisy, isolations, and desperation.” You’re supposed to question these subjects while laughing at relevant raunchy humor and awkward sexual encounters. You may not find Bible-thumping Pastor much of a minister, although Drew Hirshfield tries like hell (those are the operative words) to make his church relevant. You’re introduced to the affected central character, very talented Harrison Bryan’s Jason, his irreverent puppet Tyrone’s voice and mover. Jason’s grieving over his father’s death, his mother’s behavior since, and his inability to connect personally with churchgoers of his age. (Note: None of these look as young as they’re supposed to be.) You may feel ambiguous about Jason’s mother Margery (Brenny Rabine, bravely meeting requirements of Robert Atkins’s heavy-handed, mean script). While trying to run the church’s Puppet Ministry and yet reject the Pastor’s advances, she submits to being overtaken sexually by school bully Timothy. Tom Patterson submerges himself in this mainly surface role to the extent of supposedly losing an ear. Are you going to find humor in even more violence done to the hands of Jason and his mom? The play does have a comic highlight. It consists of the puppets of Jason and Jessica, the phlegmatic schoolgirl he has a crush on, having explicit sex. You may accept this as more clever and advanced than their previous personal innocent swings in a park, because the puppets are truly comical…But for a silent ending that takes at least ten minutes? By now, you are supposed to be “sore with laughter”. I myself was sore that it was taking so long for Jason to be out of Tyrone’s power. Why is there an Epilogue quite similar to the Prologue? Is Hand to God one of those full circle comedies? If Tyrone hasn’t vanished, hasn’t been vanquished, what is the point of the entire play other than its achieving many productions and profit for its author?
