[1] Hand to God opened Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on March 10, 2014, directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel in an MCC Theater production.
The cast features Steven Boyer as Jason/Tyrone, Geneva Carr as Margery, Michael Oberholtzer as Timothy, Sarah Stiles as Jessica, and Marc Kudisch as Pastor Greg (a role later played by Bob Saget), with direction by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, sets by Beowulf Boritt, costumes by Sydney Maresca, and lighting by Jason Lyons.
The cast featured Neil Pearson as Pastor Greg, Harry Melling as Jason/Tyrone, Janie Dee as Margery, Jemima Rooper as Jessica and Kevin Mains as Timmy.
"[5] In the devoutly religious, relatively quiet small town of Cypress, Texas, Margery is a widow whose husband has recently died.
Jason's hand puppet, Tyrone, takes on a life of his own, announces that he is Satan, leads them into sin, and expresses secrets that the characters would rather have left unacknowledged.
Prologue - In an empty basement of a church “Somewhere in Texas where the country meets the city” a puppet stage is set up.
The puppet leaves with a warning to the audience: “When I have acted badly, in order that I may stay around the campfire all I have to do is say…the devil made me do it.” Scene 1 - In the same church basement, Margery, a recently widowed mother, tries to teach a puppet class with a group of three clearly disinterested teenagers: Jessica, a nerdy and deadbeat young woman; Timothy, a horny and expletive-spouting young man; and Jason, Margery's introverted son.
Pastor Greg, who is clearly infatuated with Margery (though not quite as much as Timothy), invites the puppet class to perform in front of the entire church next Sunday.
Scene 3 - In the car on the way home, Jason tries to tell Margery that he no longer wants to do the puppet class, which she refuses to listen to.
It is clear to the audience their relationship has turned dysfunctional since the death of Jason's father from a heart attack earlier in the year.
After witnessing Margery's destructive rampage, he joins in on her command, their actions becoming increasingly sexual before they give in to their urges and engage in violent intercourse.
While waiting for Margery to find her scripts, Tyrone proceeds to threaten Timothy, who gradually becomes aware something odd is going on.
Scene 2 - Back in the basement, Tyrone, apparently with Jason's help, has turned the room into his own personal hell, with graffiti, torn up posters, mutilated stuffed animals, and crucified dolls.
Tyrone seizes the opportunity to reveal that Margery and Timothy had sex, and a horrified Pastor Greg stumbles out of the classroom back towards his office.
Margery finally snaps, calling out Pastor Greg for his lame attempt at a come-on, and shouting about Jason not being there for her after her husband's death and instead talking to a puppet.
Tyrone's attempt to convince him otherwise is interrupted by Jessica coming in through the window with her puppet, a buxom character complete with button breasts named Jolene.
Jessica uses the distraction to finally get through to Jason, and asks him out to homecoming before leaving as Pastor Greg and Margery enter.
With no other apparent choice, Jason turns the hammer around and prepares to slam the claw of the head straight into his hand.
As the two leave the basement arm-in-arm for a hospital, Margery insists Jason tell her if Tyrone comes back, and she will be there for him.
And humanity spends the last thousand years solving their problems by putting horns on them and watching their saviors burn.
Might just be the place you saw the devil before.” Original Broadway Cast: On November 3, 2015 Bob Saget replaced Marc Kudisch as Pastor Greg.