Victory Gardens Presents HAND TO GOD by Robert Askins, September 16 - October 16, 2016

Victory Gardens Theater announces the first show of its 42st season, Hand To God by Robert Askins, directed by Gary Griffin. Hand To God runs September 16 - October 16, 2016, with the press performance on Friday, September 23, 2016, at 7:30 pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

The God-fearing children of Cypress, Texas spend their after-school hours practicing Christian Puppet Ministry at the local church. When one devout young boy discovers that his hand puppet has a life of its own, all hell breaks loose. Literally. In this hilarious and lightning-paced comedy, Tyrone, a stinging and witty satanic sock puppet soon shows the children, minister, and school bully who's really in charge. Declared "flat-out hilarious" by The New York Times; Hand to God by Robert Askins and directed by Gary Griffin makes its Chicago premiere after thrilling audiences on Broadway and receiving a Tony nomination for Best New Play last season.

Preview performances are September 16-22, 2016 with a regular run scheduled for September 16- October 16, 2016

Word for Word (open caption) performances Friday, September 30 at 7:30pm. Saturday, October 1 at 3:00pm, and Wednesday, October 5 at 2:00pm

Audio Description performances Friday, September 30 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, October 9 at 3:00pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)

ASL Interpreted and Word for Word (open caption) performance Friday, September 30 at 7:30pm

The Box Office is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago. For tickets call 773.871.3000 or visit www.victorygardens.org

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals. Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Za?ek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens' core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city's and nation's culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city's active student population.

Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the Za?ek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.

Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens Theater.

The Playwrights Ensemble Alumni includes Claudia Allen, Lonnie Carter, Steve Carter, Gloria Bond Clunie, Dean Corrin, Nilo Cruz, Joel Drake Johnson, John Logan, Nicholas Patricca, Douglas Post, James Sherman, Charles Smith, Jeffrey Sweet and Kristine Thatcher.

For more information about Victory Gardens, visit www.victorygardens.org.

Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from The Wallace Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Shubert Foundation, The REAM Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Allstate Insurance, Polk Bros. Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William and Orli Staley Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by: Abbot Downing & Wells Fargo, Alliance Bernstein, The Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Exelon, The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Illinois Tool Works, Italian Village Restaurants, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, LLP, The Prince Charitable Trusts, The Saints, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Southwest Airlines, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Whole Foods Market, and Wrightwood Neighbors Conservation Association.

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