When I found out that our last class trip would be to a play called “The Humans” by Stephan Karam, I got excited. I have never seen a play in person before (yes, I have never been to any plays from my high school). You know what made me even more excited though? The fact that this was performed in English! “The Humans” was definitely my favorite performance this semester because it was the easiest to watch; It engrossed the audience through its set design and relativeness to our modern lives.
I admit, this was the first performance that I did not fall asleep in. Prior to this performance, we watched the legendary Angela Hewitt perform her rendition of Bach’s “The Art of Fugue”. I fell asleep multiple times in that one because there was nothing on the stage to focus on besides a lady, a piano, and a water bottle. Was I expected to stare at her twitchy hands or her glittery dress for 90 minutes? I don’t know. On the other hand, “The Humans” was full of life, to the point where I had to stay awake every second of the play, or else I would miss something good. I noticed how no one in the audience fell asleep as well because the events of “The Humans” kept spilling out idea by idea, problem after problem.
The set design in “The Humans” was very unique. Normally, plays would be performed on a flat stage. However, “The Humans” created a two-tier stage that operated like a normal house. The cross-section of the “house” was a great way to physically display the normality of a modern day middle-class family. I liked the scenes near the beginning when Brigid and her family were upstairs sharing stories, while Rich prepared dinner downstairs, and when Brigid and her family sang, and Rich awkwardly stands behind Brigid. These moments made me realize that Rich seems obviously isolated and something about him must be different from the family. My observation was proved true when he talks about his trust fund, which showed that his family comes from a higher socio-economical class than Brigid’s.
Aside from its set design, the play was interesting because it was greatly relatable to our lives. Many Thanksgiving dinners involve the gathering of family members from different states. Relatives often ask about problems you are facing, and depending how close they are to you, you’d tell them your struggles. I liked how every character in the play had their own problems and revealed them to different family members one by one. It would not be realistic if everyone comes forth and confesses in front of the whole family. Also, we can really see the relationships each character has with one another. For example, Amy and Brigid laugh about their mom’s emails behind her back, which showed their closeness as sisters. Another example would be when the dad spoke to his daughters about how he cheated on their mom. He does not know what to do, so he trusts them to help him solve his problem.
Overall, “The Humans” was a mesmerizing experience because it managed to keep me awake. It makes me want to see more plays in the future. By the way, did anyone see Drew Barrymore? I did!
I never noticed the trust element in Eric before! This interpretation changes that scene, to me. I always thought that his confession was forced, and that if he could, he would have never told his daughters. But if one thinks that he did it because he needed their help, and trusted them, it makes their reaction all the more tragic. After all, what did he expect? Understanding? A hug? The end implies forgiveness, but for how long? We never see Aimee forgive. Perhaps she never will. Now I have a lot more questions about the ending than I did before, so well done on opening my eyes about the play! Your observation really does add to the bittersweetness of ending (in a good way)!
I agree that the set was captivating in a way I’ve never seen before either. This was the first time I’ve seen a play myself, I’m on the same boat as you I’ve never seen a high school play either, and I was awake throughout this whole play. I agree that every family has problems, but the fact that the father went to his daughters to help him with his problem shows how immature the father is. Usually the children go to their parents when they do something wrong and need advice, what we saw here was the complete opposite. It shows how the father is unable to help himself. This also directly shows why the daughter’s are independent, Brigid finding herself a new place with her boyfriend and not needing the support of her parents. I never thought much into the helplessness of the father till now, thank you for that!!