The angst, anguish and amity of the American middle class are first coaxed - then shoved - into the light in this uproarious, hopeful, and heart-breaking play that takes place over the course of a family dinner on Thanksgiving. Breaking with tradition, Erik Blake (Birney) has brought his Pennsylvania family to celebrate and give thanks at his daughter's apartment in lower Manhattan. As darkness falls outside the ramshackle pre-war duplex, and eerie things start to go bump in the night, the Blake clan's deepest fears and greatest follies are laid bare. Our modern age of anxiety is keenly observed, with humor and compassion, in this new American classic.
Playwright Stephen Karam takes this familiar, if shop-worn, dramatic framework and transforms it into a 95-minute work that is fresh, funny, piercing and perceptive...Karam has an eye for detail on a near-cellular level, an ear for authentic dialogue and a superlative ability to balance laughter and sorrow. There's a lot of both here...Joe Mantello's direction is smart and subtle, making excellent use of the bi-level stage. In an ensemble of all aces, a few actors stand out. Beck, a wonderful rising star, nails the hapless Aimee's black humor. Houdyshell tickles and stings as an undervalued wife and mother. Birney anchors everything as a middle-class Everyman terrified of losing what he loves.
Each and every character is enormously appealing, and Karam takes care to reveal their guarded secrets with great tenderness, just as Mantello's directorial hand gently advances the play from comedy to tragedy. The revelations of weakness in this close-knit family are not entirely unexpected -- lost loves, failed jobs, depression, money troubles, health problems, unpardonable misjudgments and the overwhelming pain of grief and regret. The big question, of course, is whether the Blakes can survive after this emotional night. Karam doesn't make it easy for them -- or us -- and the ambiguous ending seems to tilt toward darkness. But don't bet on it.
2015 | Off-Broadway |
Roundabout Theatre Company Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2016 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2017 | US Tour |
First National Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Play | The Humans |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Joe Mantello |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design for a Play | Justin Townsend |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | The Humans |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Play | Fitz Patton |
2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Special Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble | The Humans |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Reed Birney |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jayne Houdyshell |
2016 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Stephen Karam |
2016 | New York Drama Critics Circle Awards | Best Play | The Humans |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Reed Birney |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Play | Jayne Houdyshell |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Joe Mantello |
2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Stephen Karam |
2016 | The Lortels | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Lauren Klein |
2016 | The Lortels | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play | Reed Birney |
2016 | The Lortels | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play | Jayne Houdyshell |
2016 | The Lortels | Outstanding Lighting Design | Justin Townsend |
2016 | The Lortels | Outstanding Scenic Design | David Zinn |
2016 | The Lortels | Outstanding Sound Design | Fitz Patton |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Joe Mantello |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Justin Townsend |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Reed Birney |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Jayne Houdyshell |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Stephen Karam |
2016 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | David Zinn |
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