Irreverent HAND TO GOD Shakes Things Up This July at Jungle Theater

The Jungle Theater's 2018 summer show is a Jungle coup - the Twin Cities premiere of the rowdy, award-winning Broadway hit, HAND TO GOD, opening July 21. One of the most produced plays of 2016-17, Hand to God features a mild-mannered teen and his spectacularly foul-mouthed puppet in a fast-paced comedic exploration of the fragile nature of faith, morality and the ties that bind. Directed by Jungle Resident Director Christina Baldwin, the "darkly delightful" play (NY Times) runs through August 19 at the Lyn-Lake neighborhood theater, located at 2951 Lyndale Ave. S. in Minneapolis.

In this "ridiculously raunchy, irreverent and funny" tale (NY Daily News), meek Jason finds an outlet for his anxiety at the Christian Puppet Ministry, in a devoutly religious, relatively quiet small Texas town. Jason's complicated relationships with the town pastor, the school bully, the girl next door, and-most especially-his mother are thrown into upheaval when Jason's puppet, Tyrone, takes on a wickedly scandalous and dangerously impertinent personality all its own. Despite all hell breaking loose, the congregation learns about love, grief and what it means to be human.

A graduate of the University of Minnesota's Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program, Riley O'Toole reprises the roles of Jason and puppet Tyrone in this Jungle production. Last year, he earned accolades while at the Salt Lake Acting Company in Utah, with critics noting that "O'Toole's double-duty portrayal of Jason and Tyrone is amazing..." (The Salt Lake Tribune) and "...an impressive display of puppeteering and a convincing portrayal of a teenager in the midst of a full-on split-personality disorder" (Daily Utah Chronicle).

Rounding out the cast are Tracey Maloney (Margery, Jason's mom), C. Michael Menge (Jessica, the girl next door), Kris Nelson (Pastor Greg) and Eric Sharp (Timothy, the school bully). Baldwin's creative team includes Sarah Bahr (costumes), Sean Healey (sound), Grant Merges (lighting), John Novak (properties/ stage manager) and Chelsea Warren (set and puppet design).

Nominated for five Tony Awards including best play in 2015, Hand to God had two previous runs at smaller off-Broadway stages in 2011 and 2014, when it won the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play.

The Jungle offers post-show Stay Late discussions after every performance of Hand to God to give audience members the opportunity to ask questions and talk about the play's themes. Performances are Tuesdays ($37), Wednesdays ($37), Thursdays ($37), Fridays ($47) and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. ($47), and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ($42). Preview performances ($15) are July 18-19 at 7:30 p.m. Rush tickets are offered every night of the week, based on availability two hours prior to the performance, and there is special Friday night pricing for students, 55408 neighborhood residents and employees, and those under 30 years of age. Tickets and more information are available at (612) 822-7063 or online at www.jungletheater.com.