The Paramount Theatre’s selection for its second play in the newly-developed BOLD Series, “Hand to God,” is, well, rather bold.
“The show is a darkly comedic, horror shocker,” said Trent Stork, Paramount’s associate artistic producer and casting director, who is directing the show. “I see it as a combination of the film ‘The Exorcist’ and the television show ‘Sesame Street.’
“Hand to God” is suggested for ages 18 and up due to strong adult language, sexual harassment, simulated sex and simulated sexual violence.
“One of the reasons that we started the BOLD Series was to serve an audience that we felt was not being served,” Stork said. “This is an amazing show. It will make you laugh. It will make you think. If swearing and sexual content puts you off, this show is not for you.”
“Hand to God,” by Richard Askins, is set in the tiny, religious town of Cypress, Texas. Margery is a widow whose husband has recently died, and to keep her occupied, her minister, Pastor Greg, has asked her to run the Christian Puppet Ministry at the church. The teenage members of the club are her shy son, Jason; Jessica, the girl next door, who Jason has a crush on; and Timmy, the neighborhood troublemaker.
As the show progresses, Jason’s puppet, Tyrone, takes on a life of his own. As the foul-mouthed, independent and devilishly-funny Tyrone grows in strength, Jason’s complex relationships with everyone in which he comes in contact are thrown into upheaval. Tyrone announces that he is Satan, leads them into sin, and expresses secrets that the characters would rather have left unacknowledged.
“This ministry has no real facilities to deal with grief,” Stork said. “They offer puppet therapy. You are supposed to act out traumas with the puppets. Jason’s puppet starts acting out and they believe the puppet is possessed. And although the show deals with themes of religion, it is not a comment on religion; it is not a mockery of religion.”
The Paramount Theatre’s production of “Hand to God” will be presented at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sundays from May 25 to July 10 at the Copley Theatre in Aurora. The BOLD Series first offering was Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat,” which ran earlier this year.
“Hand to God” was first produced on Broadway in 2015, receiving five Tony Award nominations, including for Best Play. The show opened on Broadway on April 7, 2015, and closed on Jan. 3, 2016, for a total of 311 performances.
Although an experienced director, Stork needed some assistance with the puppets.
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“I can teach you how to use a puppet, but I cannot teach you how to effectively talk back and forth with the puppet,” Stork said. “So we were looking for a puppet coach.”
Stork said that the puppet communities in both Aurora and Chicago were very busy and no one seemed available.
“I had hired Jon Beal as the fight choreographer for the show, and Jon had some puppet experience, but not enough to do a whole show,” Stork said. “But he said he had a friend from the television series ‘Sesame Street,’ Spencer Lott. So Spencer is our puppetry coach.”
Lott is a puppeteer who has worked on various “Sesame Street” television projects since 2014. In addition, Lott was involved with the Fred Rogers 2019 biopic “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” serving as the lead puppeteer, as well as designing and building replica puppets of the characters from the television show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
“Spencer helps with body position,” Stork said. “They are dual-rod puppets, so one rod is in each hand, or both rods are in one hand. If I want to be ‘Strangling the person,’ he’ll say, ‘Try it this way.’ The puppeteer work is its own art form.”
Those auditioning for the play got into the characters almost immediately.
“In the audition notice we said you could use a hand puppet, a sock puppet, or your own puppet,” Stork said. “One of the people auditioning had a puppet that was just a nasty old sock. Some made their own puppets with hair and googly eyes.
“During auditions I was looking at how the actors related to the puppet,” Stork continued. “A really key ability is to know when the actor is speaking and then put your energy into the puppet and then do it back and forth.”
Stork prefers plays, like “Hand to God,” that leave things somewhat unresolved.
“I like plays that leave the questions open-ended,” Stork said. “I like a play where it doesn’t tell you how to feel. It brings up questions, but doesn’t give answers. It makes you think about it. ‘Hand to God’ is a thoughtful play that will leave you in stitches.”
‘Hand to God’
When: May 25 — July 10
Where: Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
Tickets: $67-$74
Information: 630-896-6666; paramountaurora.com
Randall G. Mielke is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.