Hand to God Review
By Dawson Beard, Skyline Desk Chief
ALPINE - The Sul Ross Theater Program once again delivered an impactful and thought-provoking performance while leaving the audience in stitches with their adaptation of the dark comedy “Hand to God” by Robert Askins.
“Hand to God” is about a boy named Jason (Garrison Rutledge) who is forced into a Christian ministry puppet club by his recently widowed mother, Margery (Jenna Reyes), who was asked to create the club by Pastor Greg (Justin Hinton). Jason’s puppet, Tyrone, masterfully operated and voiced by Rutledge, takes on a life of his own when he is possessed by the devil.
All seemed innocent when the first act opened in a church basement with Margery trying, and failing, to liven things up in the puppet club by playing with a puppet she made. This innocence lasted until the first f-bomb was dropped. From that point on, nothing was off limits.
A brilliant compilation of foul language, bloody violence and puppet sex ensued, leaving the audience in side-splitting laughter and overwhelming shock. Yes, I said puppet sex.
However, no amount of any of these elements could take away from the overarching message of the play. Set in the devoutly religious city of Cypress, Texas, “Hand to God” is a commentary of how religious individuals tend to blame their sinful behavior and immoral actions on the devil, rather than accept their human nature and seek the help they need. Tyrone explains it well when he so eloquently states, “You need the devil, then you need it to go the f*ck away.”
Without this acknowledgement, one can end up like Jason who is driven mad by not being able to properly communicate his feelings for the sake of his mother’s happiness. This is evident in the rest of the characters in the play as each one of them are facing hardships and are not able to properly process their feelings, causing immense damage to themselves and those around them.
Yaritza Corona, who plays Jessica, the love interest of Jason, does a wonderful job in the role, having great chemistry with her fellow performers. Especially when she is trading insults with Cristian Sanchez, who plays Timothy, the secret teenage lover of a broken and confused Margery who has part of his ear bitten off by Tyrone in a fit of rage.
I applaud the willingness and professionalism of Reyes and Sanchez to be so vulnerable in their roles as on two occasions Reyes stands on stage with her bra in full view of the audience and the two of them engage in a sexual encounter.
The play ends with Jason finally breaking free from Tyrone’s grasp by hitting him with a hammer, and then accidentally slashing his mother's hand with the claw end of that same hammer as she attempts to stop her son from causing further harm to himself. With his mother comforting him, the two decide to get help.
While this ending is fitting, it is not satisfying. I was left wondering how the trauma of the play’s events would impact each character, and the fate of each of them following such horrific and appalling acts.