All hell is breaking loose at Coal Mine Theatre for the Toronto premiere of HAND TO GOD, a blasphemous puppet show written by Robert Askins, directed by Mitchell Cushman and starring Frank Cox-O’Connell, Ted Dykstra, Amy Keating, Francis Melling, and Nicole Underhay, April 21 – May 12, 2019.

In a quiet Texas town, recently widowed Margery runs the church puppet club. Her grieving teenage son finds solace in his homemade sock puppet, Tyrone. That is until Tyrone goes rogue and hijacks control of Jason. He shocks the congregation with his foul-mouthed insinuations and wild accusations. And by spinning his head around Exorcist-style! A hilarious lesson in humanity, HAND TO GOD tackles all the big themes including life, death…and crafting.

Produced on Broadway in 2015 and nominated for five Tony Awards, including for Best New Play, HAND TO GOD was the most produced play in the 2016/17 American theatre season with 13 productions staged across the country. For its Toronto premiere, Mitchell Cushman(The Aliens / Coal Mine; Jerusalem / Company Theatre with Outside the March) returns to the Coal Mine to revisit this twisted play about a satanic sock puppet, which he first directed at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in 2017.

The cast of HAND TO GOD features Frank Cox-O’Connell (Rose, Idomeneus / Soulpepper) as Jason/Tyrone; Nicole Underhay (The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs / Tarragon Theatre) as Margery; Ted Dykstra (Poison / Coal Mine, 2 Pianos, 4 Hands) as Pastor Greg; Amy Keating (Long Day’s Journey Into Night / Stratford Festival) as Jessica; and Francis Melling (Issac’s Eye / Unit 102 Actors Company) as Timothy.
 

The devil lurks off-off-Broadview!
COAL MINE THEATRE
presents the Toronto Premiere of
HAND TO GOD
Written by Robert Askins
Directed by Mitchell Cushman
Starring Frank Cox-O’Connell, Ted Dykstra,
Amy Keating, Francis Melling, Nicole Underhay

Set Design by Anahita Dehbonehie
Lighting Design by Nick Blais
Costume Design by Lindsay Daggar Junkin
Music and Sound Design by Bram Geilen
Puppetry Designer/Director Marcus Jamin
Stage Manager Meghan Speakman
Production Manager Wes Babcock

Coal Mine Theatre, 1454 Danforth Avenue, Toronto
April 21 – May 12, 2019
Tuesday-Saturday @ 7:30 • Sunday Matinee @ 2pm (Sunday preview @ 7:30pm)
All Tickets $42.50 + hst (previews $25 +hst)
To purchase and for more information please visit: www.coalminetheatre.com

Social Media
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using @coalminetheatre and YouTube
#HandToGodCM

Photo: Frank Cox-O’Connell and Tyrone.