‘Hand to God” boasts the kind of berserk, star-making performance you have to see to believe.
Make that two performances — both by the same actor, Steven Boyer.
In Robert Askins’ demented black comedy, Boyer, who’s in his early 30s, plays a meek teenager, Jason. At the Christian puppetry workshop led by his mother, Margery (Geneva Carr), in their church’s cheery basement, Jason makes a sock puppet he calls Tyrone.
It’s soon obvious that Tyrone has a mind of its own — and it’s a nasty one.
Jason is a polite, introverted loner who looks down when bully Timothy (Michael Oberholtzer) taunts him, and who doesn’t dare ask out his crush, the nerdy Jessica (Sarah Stiles).
Tyrone, on the other hand — ahem — has a filthy felt mouth and a violent streak. It’s not long before he takes over both Jason and the show — which goes so over the top with cartoonish sex and violence that it makes “Avenue Q” look even more like “Sesame Street.”
Switching between puppet and kid at lightning speed, Boyer nevertheless keeps them entirely distinct: He’s basically portraying one and a half men.
“Hand to God” first played at tiny EST back in 2011, and MCC is now bringing it off-Broadway. This most welcome theatrical second coming should make the show the hit it deserves to be, and finally introduce Boyer to a bigger audience.
We first see his virtuosity when Jason and Tyrone re-enact the classic “Who’s on First?” routine. Things ramp up fast as Tyrone acts out Jason’s bottled-up feelings and goes on a destructive rampage.
It’s never clear if we’re looking at an extreme case of split personality or if Tyrone is a demonic, Chucky-like creature — Pastor Greg (Broadway vet Marc Kudisch, from “9 to 5”) seems to choose the second. This uncertainty adds a subversive edge.
Directed with unflagging energy by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, the show moves at great speed. As the mayhem escalates, only Jessica keeps her wits: She gently warns Jason that “we can’t go to the homecoming dance as long as you have a devil puppet on your arm.”
By the time “Hand to God” reaches its Grand Guignol finale, you’re reeling from shock and laughter.
But then, being of two minds is just right for this show.