I admit that when I heard of the plot for The Humans, I was expecting a cheesy ending to a predictable yet fun play. The reality was a bittersweet ending to a play that hit much too close to home.
I’ve noted before that this play didn’t rely on clichés. The writing was excellent, and showed true creativity. Of course we had the ill sister, the snarky sister, the heartbreak subplot, the boyfriend subplot, etc. But as the play progressed, the characters did things that would subvert their roles. The ill, heartbroken Aimee never tells more than one person a secret at a time. Her need for surgery and her despair over her break-up with her ex-girlfriend is told to two different people, and neither person is told both personal worries. Like a real family, not everyone knows everything. The boyfriend, Richard, is not only comic relief, but contrasts the family, as he had dealt and moved past his inner demons.
Furthermore, each story isn’t told in the usual falling-out scene these sorts of plays have. I’m talking about plays where the tense family gets together, and then all at once everything comes to a breaking point where everyone spills their secrets and the others feel sorry. In The Humans, every character told their story separately, and not every reaction was sympathy. Eric chided Brigid for not appreciating that she can pursue her dream while others can’t, glossing over her sorrow for not being able to get her dream job, for example. Even little moments, like when Brigid would say something snippy to her mother, would pass without being formally resolved. Like real tiny arguments, there doesn’t always need to be resolution. Sometimes people say something in the heat of the moment, but when the moment passes, everything is fine. Simple touches to the script like this is what made the family dynamic so realistic.
The crowing moment in the script, however, was the reveal of Eric’s betrayal. Throughout the play it is shown that he is hiding something, but other than that, his personality shines: we see that he has some tough love for his daughters, but is ready to give advice when they need it. We’re told that he’s worked in a school, gotten a promotion, and that his wife considers his family hers. Deirdre’s character adds to reveal as she is shown as a mother who is invested in her daughter’s relationship, calls her mother-in-law “Mom,” yet shows annoyance when Eric starts to get tipsy. They act like a normal couple, making Eric’s reveal so heartbreaking. He says that they had moved past his cheating, but suddenly, Deirdre’s cold, “Are you too drunk to thank your daughter?” somehow felt worse. Her devotion to her mother-in-law is suddenly seen as heroic, as she could have left that all behind. But she didn’t.
And as for Eric, the character we grew to love became so complex. We see his pain, his tears, yet we also see how his stupidity caused bankruptcy and pain from his daughters. He lied to his wife, his children, and committed what I think is one of the worst acts one can ever do: betraying someone you know loves you. His cheating was needlessly cruel, and the fact that we aren’t given a reason as to why he did it shows how well-written this character is. He didn’t do something because of whatever will make him sympathetic, he just messed up, and the audience if left wondering whether to feel sympathy or not. Not many can pull of such a realistic character, and I was surprised to find that here.
The finale is never utilizes the seemingly obligatory happy ending. We are shown that tension has died down, but who is to say that after Fiona dies, Deirdre stays with Eric? Who is to say that Brigid stays with Richard? Or that she follows her dream? Like a real family, there is no big discussion and make-up scene. There is just an action, the reaction, and the chance of forgiveness. Not everything is explicitly resolved. But who does solve the family troubles with one heart-to-heart? Who has a heart-to-heart after rehashing old shames and pain? No one.
I cried during the play. I cried after. For a comedy, it wasn’t afraid to get dark. It wasn’t afraid to create complex situations and characters. That is what made it so lovely. It’s so relatable a play, I would not recommend taking the family to see it during the holidays, lest one wants to do a reenactment.
I really like how you mentioned that each of the character’s problems were exposed over time rather than revealing them in one dramatic moment. It really matched the play’s reoccurring theme of being relatable and realistic; in real life, people usually wait for the right time to reveal certain issues rather than spilling them out all at once. Also, all the characters react in different ways according to their own personality- like the example you mentioned of Eric almost belittling Brigid’s struggle to pursue her passion. I would have overlooked the very subtle details of the play if you had not mentioned it.
I definitely felt the same way towards Eric. We see him a caring father, son, and husband throughout the play then suddenly he hits the audience with the truth. Also the relationship between Eric and Deidre seemed so real, it was hard to believe that they have been fighting this battle all along. Deidre was already my favorite character, but my admiration for her increased after learning that she still cares for her husband and mother in law even after the affair. The ending was also very different from the stereotypical happy ending where the whole family comes together and forgives each other. That does not always happen in real families- certain wounds will only heal with time.