The Humans (play)

{{Infobox play

| name = The Humans

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| writer = Stephen Karam

| chorus =

| characters = {{ubl|Erik|Deirdre|Richard|Fiona "Momo" Blake|Aimee|Brigid}}

| setting = An apartment in lower Manhattan

| premiere = {{Start date|2015|09|30}}

| place = Roundabout Theatre Company – Laura Pels Theatre

| orig_lang = English

| subject = Family

| web = https://www.stephenkaram.com/plays/the-humans/

}}

The Humans is a one-act play written by Stephen Karam. The play opened on Broadway in 2016 after an engagement Off-Broadway in 2015. The Humans was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play.

Synopsis

At Thanksgiving, the Blake family gathers at the run-down Manhattan apartment in Chinatown of Brigid Blake

and her boyfriend Richard. Brigid's parents, Erik Blake and Deirdre Blake, arrive from their home in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to have dinner with Brigid, Richard and Aimee, their other adult daughter. Brigid is a musician and Aimee is a lawyer living in Philadelphia. Aimee has recently broken up with her girlfriend and has developed an intestinal ailment. Also present is Erik's mother, Fiona ("Momo"), who has Alzheimer's disease. The parents are unhappy that their daughters have left home and have abandoned their religion. The family members must deal with "aging, illness, and a changing economy".{{cite web |author=Sommer, Elyse |url=http://www.curtainup.com/humansbway.html |department=A CurtainUp Review |title=The Humans |website=curtainup.com |date=March 2, 2016}}

Productions

The play had its world premiere at the American Theater Company in Chicago, Illinois, in November 2014, directed by PJ Paparelli. Chris Jones, in his review for the Chicago Tribune, wrote: "kind, warm, beautifully observed and deeply moving new play, a celebration of working-class familial imperfection and affection and a game-changing work for this gifted young playwright."{{cite news |author=Jones, Chris |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/reviews/ct-humans-review-karam-20141118-column.html |department=Chicago review |title='The Humans' at American Theater Company |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=November 18, 2014}}

The Humans opened Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre on September 30, 2015, in previews, and officially on October 25, 2015, in a limited run produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company, with positive reviews, and ran until January 3, 2016.{{cite web |url=http://www.iobdb.com/Production/6038 |title=The Humans |website=Internet Off-Broadway Database |access-date=June 27, 2022 }} It transferred to Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre, opening on February 18, 2016, and closing on July 24, 2016. The play then transferred to the Schoenfeld Theatre, re-opening on August 9, 2016. (The Helen Hayes had major renovations starting in August 2016.){{cite news |author1=Hetrick, Adam |author2=Clement, Olivia |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/the-humans-will-transfer-to-broadways-schoenfeld-theatre-com-387178# |title=The Humans will transfer to Broadway's Schoenfeld Theatre |newspaper=Playbill |date=June 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624113036/http://www.playbill.com/article/the-humans-will-transfer-to-broadways-schoenfeld-theatre-com-387178 |archive-date=June 24, 2016}}{{cite news |author1=Hetrick, Adam |author2=Clement, Olivia |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/the-humans-reopens-at-broadways-schoenfeld-theatre-com-387178# |title=The Humans reopens at Broadway's Schoenfeld Theatre |newspaper=Playbill |date=August 9, 2016 |df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810174213/http://www.playbill.com/article/the-humans-reopens-at-broadways-schoenfeld-theatre-com-387178 |archive-date=August 10, 2016}} The play closed its Broadway engagement on January 15, 2017.{{cite news |author=Gans, Andrew |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/tony-winning-humans-ends-broadway-run |title=Tony-Winning Humans Ends Broadway Run |newspaper=Playbill |date=January 15, 2017}}

Directed by Joe Mantello, the Off-Broadway cast featured Cassie Beck (Aimee), Reed Birney (Erik), Jayne Houdyshell (Deirdre), Lauren Klein (Fiona "Momo" Blake), Arian Moayed (Richard), and Sarah Steele (Brigid). While off-Broadway, the script won the 2016 Obie Awards for Karam's playwriting and Houdyshell's performance.{{cite web |website=Obie Awards |url=https://www.obieawards.com/events/2010s/year-16/ |title=2016 Winners |access-date=June 27, 2022}} The Off-Broadway cast moved to Broadway.{{cite news |author=Clement, Olivia |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/the-humans-finds-its-broadway-home-and-sets-dates-com-373164 |title=The Humans Finds Its Broadway Home and Sets Dates |newspaper=Playbill |date=November 24, 2015 |access-date=June 27, 2022}}{{cite news |author=Clement, Olivia |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/stephen-karams-family-drama-the-humans-readies-for-broadway-com-376677 |title=Stephen Karam's family drama The Humans readies for Broadway |newspaper=Playbill |date=January 3, 2016 |access-date=June 27, 2022 |df=dmy-all}}{{cite news |author=Viagas, Robert |newspaper=Playbill |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/the-verdict-see-what-the-critics-had-to-say-about-the-humans-on-broadway-387434# |title=The Verdict: See What the Critics Had to Say About The Humans on Broadway |date=February 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220090948/http://playbill.com/news/article/the-verdict-see-what-the-critics-had-to-say-about-the-humans-on-broadway-387434 |archive-date=2016-02-20}}

The Pittsburgh Public Theater staged The Humans from November 9 to December 10, 2017, directed by Pamela Berlin; it was admiringly reviewed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.{{cite news |author=Rawson, Christopher |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theater-dance/2017/11/19/Stage-review-The-Humans-Stephen-Karam-Pittsburgh-Public-Theater/stories/201711190149 |department=Stage review |title='The Humans' dishes out comedy with familial discord at Pittsburgh Public Theater |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=November 19, 2017}} Artists Repertory Theatre, located in Portland, Oregon, staged it from November 19 to December 17.{{cite web |url=https://artistsrep.org/performance/the-humans/ |title=The Humans |website=Artists Repertory Theatre |access-date=June 27, 2022}}

The play embarked on a limited US national tour, starting in November 2017 at the Seattle Repertory Theatre.{{cite news |author=Paulson, Michael |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/theater/the-humans-will-close-on-broadway-jan-15.html?rref=collection/sectioncollection/theater |title=Tony-winning play 'The Humans' will close on Broadway Jan. 15 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 1, 2016}} The tour cast featured Richard Thomas as Erik, Pamela Reed as Deirdre, Daisy Eagan as Brigid, Lauren Klein as Momo, Therese Plaehn as Aimee and Luis Vega as Richard.{{cite news |author=Gans, Andrew |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/richard-thomas-daisy-eagan-and-more-set-for-national-tour-of-the-humans# |title=Richard Thomas, Daisy Eagan, and more set for national tour of 'The Humans' |newspaper=Playbill |date=October 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025073648/http://www.playbill.com/article/richard-thomas-daisy-eagan-and-more-set-for-national-tour-of-the-humans |archive-date=October 25, 2017}} The tour concluded on July 29, 2018, at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/shows/backstage.php?showid=331861 |title=The Humans Tour Schedule & Production Info |website=broadwayworld.com |access-date=September 8, 2018}}

The play opened in London at the Hampstead Theatre in September 2018 and closed on October 13, 2018. The Broadway cast reprise their roles, as does the director Mantello.{{cite news |author=Billington, Michael |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/sep/07/the-humans-review |title='The Humans' review – family dinner turns to schlock in uneasy drama |newspaper=The Guardian |date=September 7, 2018}}

Off the Dock Players produced the play in Sandwich, New Hampshire. It opened on February 14, 2020, and closed on February 23. The production was directed by Nancy Blaine and starred Hank Offinger, Rebecca Cole, Ashley Bullard, Abe Garon, Marena Harris, and Lisa Thompson.{{cite news |url=https://www.laconiadailysun.com/community/lake_style/off-the-dock-players-bring-the-humans-to-the-lakes/article_07442b16-4dc6-11ea-8a20-7fe5b15ae0e7.html |title='Off the Dock Players Brings 'The Humans' to the Lakes Region |newspaper=The Laconia Daily Sun |date=February 12, 2020}}

Critical response

In his review of the Broadway production in The New York Times, Charles Isherwood called it the "finest new play of the Broadway season so far" and praised the cast, direction, and the set "... that perfectly captures the unsettled atmosphere the writing so deftly establishes."{{cite web |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-Stephen-Karams-THE-HUMANS-Opens-on-Broadway-Updating-LIVE-20160218 |department=Review Roundup |title=Stephen Karam's The Humans opens on Broadway – all the Reviews! |website=broadwayworld.com |date=February 18, 2016}}

Jesse Green, reviewing the Broadway production for Vulture, wrote: "With its irrational layout and strange, sickening noises, the apartment, as the stage directions put it, is 'effortlessly uncanny,' as is the play itself ... It is still the most, well, human play I’ve ever seen about fear and disappointment and the attachments that transcend them."{{cite web |author=Green, Jesse |url=http://www.vulture.com/2016/02/theater-reviews-old-hats.html |department=Theater Reviews |title=The Humans and Old Hats, polar opposites of excellence |website=Vulture |date=February 18, 2016}}

The Pulitzer Prize committee called the play a “profoundly affecting drama that sketches the psychological and emotional contours of an average American family."

Awards and nominations

=Original Off-Broadway production=

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
style="width:5%;"\| Year ! style="width:20%;"\| Award ! style="width:40%;"\| Category ! style="width:25%;"\| Nominee ! style="width:10%;"\| Result
rowspan="14" style="text-align:center;" \|2016 \|rowspan="6"\|Lucille Lortel Awards{{cite web \|title=2016 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations Announced \|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/2016-lucille-lortel-award-nominations \|website=Playbill \|access-date=June 27, 2022 \|date=March 30, 2016}} \|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play \|Reed Birney \|{{nom}}
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play \|Jayne Houdyshell \|{{nom}}
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play \|Lauren Klein \|{{nom}}
Outstanding Scenic Design \|David Zinn \|{{nom}}
Outstanding Lighting Design \|Justin Townsend \|{{nom}}
Outstanding Sound Design \|Fitz Patton \|{{nom}}
rowspan="5" \|Drama Desk Awards{{cite web \|last=Viagas \|first=Robert \|title=She Loves Me Leads Drama Desk Nominations \|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/she-loves-me-leads-drama-desk-nominations \|website=Playbill \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429130000/http://www.playbill.com/article/she-loves-me-leads-drama-desk-nominations \|archive-date=April 29, 2016 \|date=April 28, 2016}}Cox, Gordon. [https://variety.com/2016/legit/news/2016-drama-desk-awards-full-list-1201789171/ "2016 Drama Desk Awards: ‘Shuffle Along,’ ‘The Humans’ Come Out on Top (Full List)"] Variety, June 5, 2016 \|colspan="2"\|Outstanding Play \|{{win}}
colspan="2"\|Drama Desk Special Award for Outstanding Ensemble \|{{won}}
Director of a Play \|Joe Mantello \|{{nom}}
Lighting Design for a Play \|Justin Townsend \|{{win}}
Sound Design in a Play \|Fitz Patton \|{{win}}
rowspan="2"\|Obie Awards{{cite web \|last=Gans \|first=Andrew \|title=Winners Announced for 61st Annual Obie Awards \|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/winners-announced-for-61st-annual-obie-awards \|website=Playbill \|date=May 23, 2016}} \|Playwriting \|Stephen Karam \|{{won}}
Distinguished Performance by an Actress \|Jayne Houdyshell \|{{won}}

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

style="width:5%;"| Year

! style="width:20%;"| Award

! style="width:40%;"| Category

! style="width:25%;"| Nominee

! style="width:10%;"| Result

rowspan="14" style="text-align:center;" |2016

|rowspan="6"|Lucille Lortel Awards{{cite web |title=2016 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations Announced |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/2016-lucille-lortel-award-nominations |website=Playbill |access-date=June 27, 2022 |date=March 30, 2016}}

|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play

|Reed Birney

|{{nom}}

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play

|Jayne Houdyshell

|{{nom}}

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

|Lauren Klein

|{{nom}}

Outstanding Scenic Design

|David Zinn

|{{nom}}

Outstanding Lighting Design

|Justin Townsend

|{{nom}}

Outstanding Sound Design

|Fitz Patton

|{{nom}}

rowspan="5" |Drama Desk Awards{{cite web |last=Viagas |first=Robert |title=She Loves Me Leads Drama Desk Nominations |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/she-loves-me-leads-drama-desk-nominations |website=Playbill |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429130000/http://www.playbill.com/article/she-loves-me-leads-drama-desk-nominations |archive-date=April 29, 2016 |date=April 28, 2016}}Cox, Gordon. [https://variety.com/2016/legit/news/2016-drama-desk-awards-full-list-1201789171/ "2016 Drama Desk Awards: ‘Shuffle Along,’ ‘The Humans’ Come Out on Top (Full List)"] Variety, June 5, 2016

|colspan="2"|Outstanding Play

|{{win}}

colspan="2"|Drama Desk Special Award for Outstanding Ensemble

|{{won}}

Director of a Play

|Joe Mantello

|{{nom}}

Lighting Design for a Play

|Justin Townsend

|{{win}}

Sound Design in a Play

|Fitz Patton

|{{win}}

rowspan="2"|Obie Awards{{cite web |last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=Winners Announced for 61st Annual Obie Awards |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/winners-announced-for-61st-annual-obie-awards |website=Playbill |date=May 23, 2016}}

|Playwriting

|Stephen Karam

|{{won}}

Distinguished Performance by an Actress

|Jayne Houdyshell

|{{won}}

=Original Broadway production=

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
style="width:5%;"\| Year ! style="width:20%;"\| Award ! style="width:40%;"\| Category ! style="width:25%;"\| Nominee ! style="width:10%;"\| Result
rowspan="30" style="text-align:center;"\|2016 \|rowspan="6"\|Tony Awards{{cite web \|last=Viagas \|first=Robert \|title=Hamilton Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins \|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/tony-time-its-broadways-biggest-night \|website=Playbill \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613110947/http://www.playbill.com/article/tony-time-its-broadways-biggest-night \|archive-date=June 13, 2016 \|date=June 12, 2016}}{{cite web \|title=See Full List of 2016 Tony Award Nominations \|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-tony-nominations-are-being-revealed \|website=Playbill \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504125126/http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-tony-nominations-are-being-revealed \|archive-date=May 4, 2016 \|date=May 3, 2016}} \|colspan="2"\|Best Play \|{{won}}
Best Featured Actor in a Play \|Reed Birney \|{{win}}
Best Featured Actress in a Play \|Jayne Houdyshell \|{{win}}
Best Scenic Design in a Play \|David Zinn \|{{win}}
Best Lighting Design in a Play \|Justin Townsend \|{{nom}}
Best Direction of a Play \|Joe Mantello \|{{nom}}
Pulitzer Prize{{cite web \|title=The Humans, by Stephen Karam \|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/stephen-karam-0 \|website=Pulitzer.org \|access-date=June 27, 2022}} \|colspan="2"\|Drama \| {{nom}}
rowspan="3"\|Drama League Awards{{cite web \|last=Gans \|first=Andrew \|title=2016 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced \|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-drama-league-awards-nominations-announced \|website=Playbill \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420195129/http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-drama-league-awards-nominations-announced \|archive-date=April 20, 2016 \|date=April 20, 2016}}{{cite web \|last=Gans \|first=Andrew \|title=Winners of Drama League Awards Announced \|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/winners-of-drama-league-awards-announced \|website=Playbill \|date=May 20, 2016}} \|colspan="2"\|Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play \|{{win}}
rowspan="2"\|Distinguished Performance \|Reed Birney \|{{nom}}
Jayne Houdyshell \|{{nom}}
rowspan="5"\|Outer Critics Circle Awards{{cite web \|last=Viagas \|first=Robert \|title=2016 Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced \|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/2016-outer-critics-circle-nominees-announced-com-347165 \|website=Playbill \|date=April 19, 2016}}{{cite web \|last=Viagas \|first=Robert \|title=Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards \|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/bright-star-and-the-humans-win-top-2016-ny-outer-critics-circle-awards-com-347165 \|website=Playbill \|date=May 9, 2016}}
colspan="2"\|Outstanding New Broadway Play \|{{win}}
Outstanding Actor in a Play \|Reed Birney \|{{nom}}
Outstanding Actress in a Play \|Jayne Houdyshell \|{{nom}}
Outstanding Director of a Play \|Joe Mantello \|{{nom}}
New York Drama Critics Circle{{cite web \|title=Shuffle Along and The Humans Win NY Drama Critics' Circle Awards \|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/shuffle-along-and-the-humans-win-ny-drama-critics-circle-awards \|website=Playbill \|date=May 5, 2016}}{{cite web \|title=Past Awards: 2015-2016 \|url=http://dramacritics.org/dc_pastawards.html#year2016 \|website=DramaCritics.org \|access-date=June 27, 2022}} \|Best Play \|Stephen Karam \|{{win}}

class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

style="width:5%;"| Year

! style="width:20%;"| Award

! style="width:40%;"| Category

! style="width:25%;"| Nominee

! style="width:10%;"| Result

rowspan="30" style="text-align:center;"|2016

|rowspan="6"|Tony Awards{{cite web |last=Viagas |first=Robert |title=Hamilton Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/tony-time-its-broadways-biggest-night |website=Playbill |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613110947/http://www.playbill.com/article/tony-time-its-broadways-biggest-night |archive-date=June 13, 2016 |date=June 12, 2016}}{{cite web |title=See Full List of 2016 Tony Award Nominations |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-tony-nominations-are-being-revealed |website=Playbill |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504125126/http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-tony-nominations-are-being-revealed |archive-date=May 4, 2016 |date=May 3, 2016}}

|colspan="2"|Best Play

|{{won}}

Best Featured Actor in a Play

|Reed Birney

|{{win}}

Best Featured Actress in a Play

|Jayne Houdyshell

|{{win}}

Best Scenic Design in a Play

|David Zinn

|{{win}}

Best Lighting Design in a Play

|Justin Townsend

|{{nom}}

Best Direction of a Play

|Joe Mantello

|{{nom}}

Pulitzer Prize{{cite web |title=The Humans, by Stephen Karam |url=https://www.pulitzer.org/finalists/stephen-karam-0 |website=Pulitzer.org |access-date=June 27, 2022}}

|colspan="2"|Drama

| {{nom}}

rowspan="3"|Drama League Awards{{cite web |last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=2016 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-drama-league-awards-nominations-announced |website=Playbill |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420195129/http://www.playbill.com/article/2016-drama-league-awards-nominations-announced |archive-date=April 20, 2016 |date=April 20, 2016}}{{cite web |last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=Winners of Drama League Awards Announced |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/winners-of-drama-league-awards-announced |website=Playbill |date=May 20, 2016}}

|colspan="2"|Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play

|{{win}}

rowspan="2"|Distinguished Performance

|Reed Birney

|{{nom}}

Jayne Houdyshell

|{{nom}}

rowspan="5"|Outer Critics Circle Awards{{cite web |last=Viagas |first=Robert |title=2016 Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/2016-outer-critics-circle-nominees-announced-com-347165 |website=Playbill |date=April 19, 2016}}{{cite web |last=Viagas |first=Robert |title=Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/bright-star-and-the-humans-win-top-2016-ny-outer-critics-circle-awards-com-347165 |website=Playbill |date=May 9, 2016}}

colspan="2"|Outstanding New Broadway Play

|{{win}}

Outstanding Actor in a Play

|Reed Birney

|{{nom}}

Outstanding Actress in a Play

|Jayne Houdyshell

|{{nom}}

Outstanding Director of a Play

|Joe Mantello

|{{nom}}

New York Drama Critics Circle{{cite web |title=Shuffle Along and The Humans Win NY Drama Critics' Circle Awards |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/shuffle-along-and-the-humans-win-ny-drama-critics-circle-awards |website=Playbill |date=May 5, 2016}}{{cite web |title=Past Awards: 2015-2016 |url=http://dramacritics.org/dc_pastawards.html#year2016 |website=DramaCritics.org |access-date=June 27, 2022}}

|Best Play

|Stephen Karam

|{{win}}

Film adaptation

A film adaptation of the play, written and directed by Karam, began production in September 2019. It was released in November 2021.

References

External links

{{IBDB title | the-humans-503915 }}
{{cite AV media |url=http://americantheatrewing.org/videos/thehumanslive/ |title=The Humans Live |publisher=American Theatre Wing |medium=documentary |series=Working in the Theatre}}

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