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.
Thanks to Karam's script and the ensemble's performances, every slight, every shared memory, and every knowing glance feels utterly lived in. The brilliant direction by Joe Mantello helps hugely with believability as well -- the movement of the actors throughout the David Zinn's two-floor set, which we look in on like a dollhouse no one would want, is wonderfully intricate yet fluid...Some moments are absolutely devastating -- Reid Birney, as the hollowed-out father prone to thousand-yard stares, is the standout of the cast -- but it's unfair to label the play as simply 'depressing,' because it's depressing in the way life is depressing and hilarious in the way life is hilarious...Karam's transcendently mundane play is a reminder that family dinner dramas can still be surprising -- and they doesn't need ghosts or things that go bump in the night to achieve that. Real life is scary enough. A-
Stephen Karam's family drama 'The Humans'...is unapologetically depressing and lacking in narrative. Its pretentious and generic title is also a turnoff. Nevertheless, it makes for a compelling and often terrifying character portrait...there isn't much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and none of the problems are resolved or ameliorated by the play's end...'The Humans' is not as appealing as Karam's terrific comedic dramas ('Speech & Debate,' 'Sons of the Prophet'), but Houdyshell's razor-sharp delivery of her character's witty responses earns laughs. Under the direction of Joe Mantello...the actors deliver vulnerable, truthful performances while also handling simultaneous action on the two-story set, overlapping dialogue and many silent pauses.
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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