HAND TO GOD Approaches Opening at San Jose Stage Company

San Jose Stage Company kicks off its first production of their 35th Anniversary Season, a darkly satirical comedy by Tony® Nominated & Laurence Olivier Award Winner Robert Askins . Tyrone is a ruthless spewer of truth bringing Southern religionism to its knees-- he's also a demon possessed Christian Ministry puppet.

FAITH AND INSTINCT MINGLE IN THIS ACIDIC COMEDY

He's the most vengeful, foul-mouthed, ruthless creature to ever release a reign of terror in Cypress, Texas... he's also a hand puppet. Tyrone has come to life to expose this devoutly religious southern town's deepest secrets from the hand of Jason, a meek teen who finds himself joining his Fundamentalist Christian Church's Puppet Ministry. Jason's complicated relationships with the town pastor, the school baddass, his crush, and-most especially-his mother are thrown into comedic upheaval when Tyrone takes on a shocking and unfiltered personality all its own. Through hilarious unspoken truths Tyrone satirically brings to light the flaws in their logic causing them to question their lives. " The thing about a savior is you never know where to look. Might just be the place you saw the devil before."

Directed by Artistic Director Randall King who says " Hand to God gives us a chance to laugh our way to redemption." The Stage is proud to open Season 35 "Truth & Illusion" with this critically acclaimed and Tony nominated production. " Hand to God illuminates the core impulses of the human nature, even the egregious ones, asking us to face our own."

About the Playwright

Robert Askins was born in small town of Cypress Texas. He is a graduate of the Baylor University. There he developed his skills as a playwright where the seemingly violent and sexual undertones of his plays brought negative feedback from his Baptist-affiliated alma mater. Later moving to New York in 2005 he found his home at Ensemble Studio Theatre where he wrote a series of pieces (including Hand to God ), most of which highlighted his Texas upbringing. Since then Askins has received two Ensemble Studio Theatre /Sloan grants, and an Arch and Bruce Davis Award for Playwriting. After a successful off-Broadway run of Hand to God, Askins won the Laurence Olivier Award for "Best New Comedy" and was nominated for a Tony & Drama Desk Award for "Best Play" & "Outstanding Play".

About the Director

Randall King is the Artistic Director and co-founder of San Jose Stage Company. Under his leadership, The Stage has produced over one hundred-sixty stage plays and musicals and premiered forty-six new works, including thirteen world premieres. Director credits include The Stage's smash hits PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE by Steve Martin (3-month extended run) and the World Premiere of CUMBERLAND BLUES (transfer to San Francisco) the Grateful Dead musical featuring songs & lyrics by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter; the Tuna trilogy's - GREAT TUNA, A TUNA CHRISTMAS, and RED, WHITE & TUNA, and most recently the award-winning production of RFK. On Stage credits at The Stage include Willy Loman in the critically acclaimed, DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award 2015S), as H. C. Curry in THE RAINMAKER, Frank Hamer and Judge in BONNIE AND CLYDE ( Theatre Bay Area Award nominated) , EKO in THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, Mark Rothko in RED, Jack Lawson in RACE (2013 Standout Contemporary Production, Silicon Valley Awards), Dodge in BURIED CHILD (2012 Standout Drama Production, Silicon VAlley Theatre Awards), Johnny Friendly in ON THE WATERFRONT, Milan and The Waiter IN ROCK N' ROLL, Sharky in THE SEAFARER (named Top Ten in Theatre in 2009 by the Bay Area News Group), Ariel in THE PILLOWMAN (2010 Standout Dramatic Production Award by Wave Magazine and Artsopolis-sponsored Silicon VAlley Theatre Awards), and Richard Roma in GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. He has performed in leading roles at many theaters including San Jose Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, and the Alaska Theatre Festival. Randall has been seen in films directed by Francis Ford Coppola (THE RAINMAKER), Lawrence Kasdan (MUMFORD), and Michael Bay (THE ROCK) and others, and has also appeared in numerous teleVision Productions.

For tickets ($30-$65) or more information, the public may contact San Jose Stage Company box office at 408-283-7142, or www.thestage.org

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