The Humans was my favorite performance out of all the ones that we have attended this semester. I could be biased because I am a huge Broadway fan, and I am always up for a good play or musical. Generally, I go into shows knowing about it (as I am spending upwards of $40), but this one was a complete surprise. There was very little about the synopsis, so everything that I saw was unexpected.
I found an eerie resemblance of this play to my life because my grandma (on my dad’s side also) has been suffering from dementia for as long as I can remember and she has also lived with us for as long as I can remember, so it is a more mild form of Momo everyday. I had an especially close relationship with my grandma because after my grandpa passed away, I was the designated person to stay with her during the night because she would get anxiety if she slept alone. From sophomore year in high schooluntil I moved to New York this year, I slept with my grandma every night and had to somehow muster the patience that it takes to live with someone suffering from what, in my opinion, is the worst disease you could possibly have. I could completely understand the frustration that Deirdre felt when Brigid tried to suggest how she should take care of Momo. People do not understand how hard it is to spend copious amounts of time with someone suffering from dementia until they actually do. I cried at the climax when Momo was in the bathroom and had her outbreak because it is truly painful to watch something that hits so close to home.
Furthermore, I felt that Bridgid reminded me of myself in the family dynamic because I always end up saying too much, and I am much too sensitive to everything that everyone says. On a lighter note, my mom also is the one to try and show us viral videos and they do not believe in moving in with a boyfriend before we are married.
I really enjoyed how this show in 90 minutes took you through ups and downs because the comedic timing was great, and the heavy hitting moments were extremely emotional. It addressed so many topics in such a short period of time, but never dwelled on one because often times, characters like Aimee get deemed as “the lesbian” but we get to see that she is so much more than that, she is just Aimee. Similarly, Rich’s entire archetype was not about depression, he is just Rich, who just happened to have had battled a mental illness. Often times, characters with either of those traits become the trait. However, in this play did a great job characterizing not only them, but also the entire cast with each of their distinct senses of humor and personalities.
I also liked that this was a snapshot into their lives, rather than one consecutive narrative of one person. It is rare that a play does not have one main character that arches through it. I find that in my own writing, I like to do a lot of “snapshots” where it is more about the moment and the tensions, rather than following an entire narrative, especially when I am trying to write short films.
There were certain themes of it that after talking about it with Nicole, that I did not quite understand, such as the importance of the door, or the dream. Or perhaps that was the point of the play, to leave everything up to interpretation. The title of the play in itself is extremely ambiguous as it is just titled “The Humans”, so maybe it is to say that each person is dealing with their own struggles, and humans are humans because they are flawed. Whether that rings true or not, I am extremely glad that this was the performance that we ended our Macaulay performances with.
I completely agree with you concerning the individuality of each character. Usually in popular culture, character traits such as homosexuality are often over-exaggerated and place a character in a an stereotypical category. “The Humans” gave each character depth beyond their personal issues and showed the audience that people shouldn’t be chocked up to a stereotype based on previous experiences. I can’t imagine what it is like having a family member suffering from dementia, and I respect you dedication to caring for your grandmother. Deirdre was my favorite character of the play and it’s amazing to see that there are versions of her in real life.
I liked how you incorporated your own experiences within this review and drew correlations between your life and the plot of the play. I did not fully understand the frustration Deirdre felt towards Brigid during that scene until reading this review. Hearing the perspective from someone who has experienced these issues is very helpful in fully understanding the plot.
I, too, felt a special connection to Brigid because she is the definitely the sassy one in the family, and I can say the same for myself. I also really liked how you mentioned that the play depicts the characters to be far more than a certain trait that they might have. This is something that I would not have realized if I had not read it here. Many shows and movies emphasize a certain trait of a character but in reality a person encompasses many different traits and most of the time have very complex personalities. Although this play was short, we were still able to see the different traits in each of the characters.
I also did not understand the significance of the door. Frankly, it did not come to mind that it might have a hidden meaning until now. However, the dream was on my mind throughout the entire play. There were times when I thought it was related to his concern for Aimee’s health or maybe even his affair.