From Broadway to London’s West End and to Alameda’s Altarena Playhouse is Hand to God. It is the story about Jason and his hand puppet, Tyrone. His mother, Margery, teaches a puppet ministry class at the church. This is where we see that Jason is a quiet timid kid and Tyrone is a loud, obnoxious, and foul-mouthed puppet. In this production, the actors need to differentiate a bit more between their voice and their puppets voice. At times they would use a distinct tone, but at other times they would just use their own tone.
The vulgarity of this play is similar to the style of South Park and Book of Mormon. Tyrone is able to be very offensive because he is just a puppet. Hearing him say and do nasty things is hilarious. This relates to the cartoon children on South Park speaking foul language. Still, South Park is a TV show and couldn’t get away with the puppet sex scene that takes place. The entire theatre was simultaneously aghast and laughing hysterically during this raunchy scene. The expressions on the human’s faces during this scene made it even better.
When Tyrone attacks, things get bloody. The audience is shocked by the sudden violence. But once again, they can’t help but laugh because it’s a puppet. There are so many funny scenes that must be seen, but not by children. The content is definitely R-rated. When the show ends after less than two hours, the crowd is left wanting more. This is a great sign of a show well done.
Get tickets now for Hand to God through Sunday!
Cost of a ticket: $30
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Half Price +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
Quinn Delaney
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