The gospel according to sock puppets is returning to the off-Broadway stage! Tony nominee Marc Kudisch and more will join previously announced star Steven Boyer in the new MCC Theater mounting of Hand to God. The offbeat comedy by Robert Askins will be directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, who directed the original Ensemble Studio Theatre production in 2011. Hand to God begins performances February 20, 2014 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with opening night set for March 10.
In addition to Boyer reprising his role as Jason and his alter-ego sock puppet Tyrone, Hand to God will star Kudisch as Pastor Greg, Sarah Stiles as Jessica, Geneva Carr reprising her role as Margery and Michael Oberholtzer as Timmy. In Hand to God, the good children of Cypress, Texas, are taught to obey the Bible in order to evade Satan’s hand. But when students at the Christian Puppet Ministry put those teachings into practice, one devout young man’s puppet takes on a shocking personality that no one could have expected.
Kudisch garnered Tony nominations for 9 to 5: The Musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Thoroughly Modern Millie. His film and TV credits include Smash, All My Children and Sex and the City. Stiles recently starred in the Shakespeare in the Park production of Into the Woods and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever on Broadway. Carr appeared in Trevor and Betty’s Summer Vacation off-Broadway. Oberholtzer starred in The Talls off-Broadway and will appear in the forthcoming film Delivery Man.