HAND TO GOD presented by Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre through Feb. 9. I attended the opening Sunday performance.
Alex Slade as Jason & Hope Pauly as Jessica. Photo by Tammy Cassesa.
On one hand, HAND TO GOD is an existential discussion on the use of the devil as an excuse for bad behavior. On the other hand, literally, it is the story of a possessed puppet with a raunchy mouth, violent tendencies and an overactive sex drive. If you find anything offensive in the previous two sentences, it is probably a good bet that this show is not for you.
The solid five-person ensemble is led by Alexander Slade as Jason (and by extension, also the puppet Tyrone). Slade impresses as he deftly switches between the distinctive voices of the two characters. Paired with his manipulation of Tyrone, he completely sells the shows central conceit.
Alex Slade as Jason. Photo by Tammy Cassesa.
Director Dylan Shelton has a sharp eye for casting and handles the outrageous comedy of the piece well. The set works well enough in defining the various settings, but with a dozen scenes the numerous blackouts interrupted the flow of the show.
The regional premiere of a five-year old play that was nominated for multiple Tony-Awards is the kind of programming I’d enjoy seeing the Incline embrace more often.
Overall a strong production of this biting, raunchy, laugh-out-loud comedy.
My rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Click here for more information on the production.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 