The Humans (play)

The Humans
Written by Stephen Karam
Characters Erik
Deirdre
Richard
Fiona "Momo" Blake
Aimee
Brigid
Date premiered September 30, 2015 (2015-09-30)
Place premiered Roundabout Theatre Company – Laura Pels Theatre
Original language English
Subject Family
Setting An apartment in lower Manhattan
Official site

The Humans is a 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.

Productions

The play had its world premiere at the American Theater Company, 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."[1]

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.[2] It transferred to Broadway to the Helen Hayes Theatre, opening on February 18, 2016 and closing at the Helen Hayes Theatre on July 24, 2016. The play then transferred to the Schoenfeld Theatre opening on August 9, 2016. (The Helen Hayes will have major renovations starting in August 2016.)[3][4] The play will close its Broadway engagement on January 15, 2017.[5] After closing, the play will have a US national tour, starting in November 2017 at the Seattle Repertory Theater.[6]

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). The Off-Broadway cast moved to Broadway.[7][8][9]

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".[10]

Critical response

In his review of the Broadway production in The New York Times, Charles Isherwood called it "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."[11]

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."[12]

The Pulitzer Prize committee said of the play: "A profoundly affecting drama that sketches the psychological and emotional contours of an average American family."[13]

Awards and nominations

Original Off-Broadway production

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2016 Lucille Lortel Awards[14][15] Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Reed Birney Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Jayne Houdyshell Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Lauren Klein Nominated
Outstanding Scenic Design David Zinn Nominated
Outstanding Lighting Design Justin Townsend Nominated
Outstanding Sound Design Fitz Patton Nominated
Drama Desk Awards[16] [17] Outstanding Play Won
Drama Desk Special Award for Outstanding Ensemble Won
Director of a Play Joe Mantello Nominated
Lighting Design for a Play Justin Townsend Won
Sound Design in a Play Fitz Patton Won
Director of a Play Joe Mantello Nominated
Obie Awards[18] Playwriting Stephen Karam Won
Distinguished Performance by an Actress Jayne Houdyshell Won

Original Broadway production

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2016 Tony Awards[19][20] Best Play Won
Best Featured Actor in a Play Reed Birney Won
Best Featured Actress in a Play Jayne Houdyshell Won
Best Scenic Design in a Play David Zinn Won
Best Lighting Design in a Play Justin Townsend Nominated
Best Direction of a Play Joe Mantello Nominated
Pulitzer Prize[13] Drama Nominated
Drama League Awards[21][22] Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play Won
Distinguished Performance Reed Birney Nominated
Jayne Houdyshell Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards[23][24]
Outstanding New Broadway Play Won
Outstanding Actor in a Play Reed Birney Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Play Jayne Houdyshell Nominated
Outstanding Director of a Play Joe Mantello Nominated
New York Drama Critics Circle[25][26] Best Play Won

References

  1. ↑ Jones, Chris. "Chicago review: 'The Humans' at American Theater Company" Chicago Tribune, November 18, 2014
  2. ↑ The Humans lortel.org, accessed May 3, 2016
  3. ↑ Hetrick, Adam and Clement, Olivia. " The Humans Will Transfer to Broadway’s Schoenfeld Theatre" Playbill, June 23, 2016
  4. ↑ Hetrick, Adam; Clement Olivia. " The Humans Reopens at Broadway’s Schoenfeld Theatre" Playbill, August 9, 2016
  5. ↑ Gans, Andrew and Clement, Olivia. " 'The Humans' Will End Broadway Run in January" Playbill, September 15, 2016
  6. ↑ Paulson, Michael. "Tony-Winning Play ‘The Humans’ Will Close on Broadway Jan. 15" The New York Times, December 1, 2016
  7. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "'The Humans' Finds Its Broadway Home and Sets Dates" Playbill, November 24, 2015
  8. ↑ Clement, Olivia."Stephen Karam's Family Drama 'The Humans' Readies for Broadway" Playbill, January 3, 2016
  9. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "The Verdict: See What the Critics Had to Say About 'The Humans' on Broadway" Playbill, February 18, 2016
  10. ↑ Sommer, Elyse. "A CurtainUp Review. The Humans ", curtainup.com, March 2, 2016
  11. ↑ "Review Roundup: Stephen Karam's The Humans Opens on Broadway – All the Reviews!", broadwayworld.com, February 18, 2016
  12. ↑ Green, Jesse. "Theater Reviews: The Humans and Old Hats, Polar Opposites of Excellence", Vulture, February 18, 2016
  13. 1 2 "Winners" pulitzer.org, accessed May 3, 2016
  14. ↑ " The Humans Off-Broadway" lortel.org, accessed April 19, 2016
  15. ↑ "2016 Lucille Lortel Award Nominations Announced" playbill.com, March 30, 2016
  16. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "'She Loves Me' Leads Drama Desk Nominations", Playbill, April 28, 2016
  17. ↑ Cox, Gordon. "2016 Drama Desk Awards: ‘Shuffle Along,’ ‘The Humans’ Come Out on Top (Full List)" Variety, June 5, 2016
  18. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Winners Announced for 61st Annual Obie Awards" Playbill, May 23, 2016
  19. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "'Hamilton' Wins 11 Tony Awards; 'Humans 'Named Best Play" Playbill, June 12, 2016
  20. ↑ "See Full List of 2016 Tony Award Nominations", Playbill, May 3, 2016
  21. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "2016 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced" Playbill, April 20, 2016
  22. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Winners of Drama League Awards Announced" Playbill, May 20, 2016
  23. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "2016 Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced" playbill.com, April 19, 2016
  24. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Bright Star and The Humans Win Top 2016 NY Outer Critics Circle Awards" Playbill, May 9, 2016
  25. ↑ "'Shuffle Along' and 'The Humans' Win NY Drama Critics’ Circle Awards", Playbill, May 5, 2016
  26. ↑ "2015–2016 Awards" dramacritics.org, accessed May 6, 2016

External links

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