Sock It To Me: Reed Williams plays Pastor Greg in HAND TO GOD

"I'm not so rich or so handsome or so good. But I got empty arms...and ears made just to hear you cry."

When a possibly posessed sock puppet brings out the sinful side of his flock, lonely local pastor Greg finds himself wanting to assert the "man" in "man of God" more than anyone exepcted.

The Tony-nominated HAND TO GOD is a fiercely challenging, foul-mouthed satire about the fraught ties that bind us to our faith and each other. It plays in the Firemen's Kitchen at Hickory Community Theatre from October 23—October 31.

He's rocked you, shocked you, and made you see squirrels in a whole new light. Returning to the Firemen's Kitchen stage in this production as Pastor Greg is Kay Award and MTA Award winner Reed Williams.

A Hickory native and copywriter with OpenText, Williams holds an M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies from UCLA. Having spent a hot Hollywood minute on the West Coast, Williams is back on this home ground. When not performing or writing he enjoys model building, playing guitar, and being "the actor most likely to know Eric Seale's pop culture references."

Williams most recently appeared on the Firemen's Kitchen stage in HANGMEN. Other HCT credits include THE SQUIRRELS, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, AIRNESS — for which he received a Kay Award for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play — and THE SECRET GARDEN. Other credits include SEUSSICAL for Creative Arts Show Time, and NOISES OFF for Empress Theatre.

"It's hard to pick one favorite thing," says Williams about HCT. "But lately, I've really appreciated the kinds of shows it selects to produce. It's a nice balance between crowd-pleasing entertainment and more challenging, provocative pieces."

Though performing as one of HAND TO GOD's conflicted adults, Williams finds himself using this production to explore his childhood experience. "Two things really informed my personality as a young person: The Muppets and church. The fact that there is a show that features puppets and explores themes around religion really compelled me to audition."

Performances of HAND TO GOD are Fridays and Saturdays, October 23, 24, 30 and 31 at 7:30pm; Sunday, October 25 at 2:30pm; and Thursday, October 29 at 7:30pm.

This production is recommended for audiences ages 18 and up. It contains VERY adult language and inappropriate situations, and evil puppets doing naughty puppet things. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for youth and students 18 and under. Tickets are available at hickorytheatre.org or by calling 828‑328‑2283.

Hickory Community Theatre is a funded affiliate of Arts Culture Catawba and receives sustaining support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Season 78 support is provided by the City of Hickory, A Cleaner World, David and Maria WIlliams, Shurtape Technologies, and Acuña & Acuña Dentistry.