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Hand to God

Florida Studio Theatre

Director, 2019

In the church basement of a little Texas town, something evil is afoot. Or, well, at hand. Shy, inquisitive teenage Jason finally finds an outlet for his burgeoning creativity at his church’s Christian Puppet Ministry. But soon his hand puppet, Tyrone, goes rogue and takes on his own shocking and dangerous personality. As Tyrone’s influence over Jason steadily grows, Hand to God explores the startlingly fragile nature of faith, morality, and the ties that bind us.

PREVIEWS & FEATURES

Accolades

  • Sarasota Herald Tribune 2019 “Handy” Award Nominations
    • PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
    • BEST DIRECTOR
    • BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY (Harrison Bryan)–ALSO WINNER
    • BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY (Brenny Rabine)

REVIEWS

  • OBSERVER:  Hilarious… Jason Cannon’s direction is sharp on every level. There’s so much verbal comedy, it’s easy to overlook the physical bits of business. The simulated puppet sex is the funniest I’ve seen since “Team America World Police”… Riveting… All this talent and a great script add up to a wild ride. And it’s a great ride. I loved this play…“Hand to God” is as funny as it gets — so funny it’s downright uncivilized. It does not generate polite titters, my friends. The audience surrounding me hooted, howled and slapped their knees. I did too. Pardon my repetition, but this is a funny, funny play. But humor and horror are a razor’s edge apart.
  • SARASOTA MAGAZINE:  Under the direction of Jason Cannon, the cast handles the often outrageous and even bloody comedy of Hand to God with energy and a lot of flair… They also make us care about their characters. 
  • TALKINBROADWAY: A virtuoso performance… Stunning… In looking over director Jason Cannon’s past productions, I find there is a stream running through them: excellent acting performances. Responsible also for teaching, new play development, and the Acting Apprentice Program, he is a very busy man and huge asset to the theatre company… ​Thank you to Florida Studio Theatre and their Stage III series for bringing this highly challenging work to my region in such a fine production.
  • ​SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE: ​I know the theater season is still young, but I can’t imagine seeing a better or more convincing performance than the one Harrison Bryan is delivering each night in Florida Studio Theatre’s Stage III production of “Hand to God” by Robert Askins… Exceedingly funny and a little shocking… This production, staged by Jason Cannon with fine nuances and necessary peaks and valleys, and performed with tremendous energy by a fine ensemble, is not for those easily offended… a bravura cast.
  • ​BRADENTON TIMES: Brilliant and hilarious… A powerhouse performance… Absolutely fabulous… One hell of an enjoyable evening. 
Award Nominated Award Winning Florida Studio Theatre Stage III Director Plays