Review: HAND TO GOD at The Roustabouts Theatre Co

If the saying “laughter is the best medicine” is true, then the irreverent and funny “Hand To God” by The Roustabouts will cure what ails you. 

Set in a Lutheran church basement rec room in Texas, where recently widowed Margery (Rebecca Crigler) is leading three teenagers, Jason (Adam Daniel), Jessica (Samantha Ginn), and wannabe bad boy Timmy (Devin Wade) through puppet ministry.  Considering they are all in high school this ministry does feel a bit young for them, though Jason in particular has talent for it and has created a puppet named Tyrone whom he has become especially dependent upon.  

Jessica likes Jason, but Jason is enthralled with Tyrone, while Timmy is focused on Margery, and Margery just wants everyone to behave normally as she copes with all the changes the last few months have brought. This includes the church's overzealous leader Pastor Greg (Dave Rivas), who also has his eyes set on Margery and is now asking her to have the class perform at church in a week.

Unfortunately, Tyrone has other ideas - as he has developed his own separate identity and voice from Jason, and Tyrone is a foul-mouthed puppet who isn't afraid of causing some shocking behavior to make his point.  Poor Jason, who is more timid and quiet is the nervous ego of Tyrone's outrageous id.

Between Tyrone’s antics, and Margery making one bad decision after another, everything turns to chaos at this church rather quickly.  The only reasonable explanation is that Tyrone is possessed by the devil, right?

Daniel, Ginn, and Wade are excellent as the show's teenage trio.  Daniel plays both the sweet and timid Jason and the crass Tyrone and more often than not is switching back and forth at top speed as the characters argue with each other.  He is also especially good at the physicality of the puppet work, making it look like Tyrone is dragging him somewhere, or creepily reaching out to touch someone.

Ginn brings a sweet and sassy comedic touch as Jessica, who has a female puppet named Jolene. Jessica worries about Jason and decides to distract Tyrone with an “enhanced” and flirtatious version of Jolene.  What results is an insanely funny scene between Ginn and Daniel as they switch between a serious personal discussion and the antics of their raunchy puppets.

Wade plays the wanna-be bad boy Timmy, with the brash bravado of a teenager who is trying to be cool.  The hints of his vulnerability come through enough that you feel for this kid who is literally looking for love in the wrong places. 

Crigler’s Margery is a woman trying to keep it all together, and you can sense the brittle tension lurking behind her desperate disguise of outward normalcy. Tired of not being heard or appreciated, and still coping with losing her husband, she and her son Jason have different but equally damaging ways of coping with their traumatic times.

 Rivas as Pastor Greg is a sweet, lonely, and seemingly oblivious hands-on pastor, who comically tries to step up when a devil-possessed puppet takes over his church basement.

Directed by  Phil Johnson the show will have you roaring with laughter as the puppet antics build, but he also makes sure that the underlying foundations of grief, and faith are still at the center of this story and not lost by all the bombastic foul-mouthed puppets. 

The scenic design by Yi-Chien Lee is a good balance of sweet and colorful that at first glance seems covered in church-appropriate posters and decor, only for the audience to look closer and see they are twisted versions of what you thought.  Lighting design by Annelise Salazar and sound design by Paul Durso add to the ambiance, especially when things take a turn for the sinister. Props designer Justin Magellanes designed all of the puppets, and as the play progresses the changes in the puppets are fun to see as well.

You may be thinking that with all these puppets this might be a good show for some kids, but “Hand To God” is R-rated all the way through. 

How To Get Tickets

“Hand To God” by The Roustabouts Theatre is playing through March 31st at Diversionary Theatre. For tickets and show time go to www.theroustabouts.org

Please note that this is not a Diversionary Theatre production. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Daren Scott

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