The Humans: A Human, if Slightly Uneven, Production

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During the performance of The Humans last night at the Kennedy Center I had to constantly try to focus on the words of Stephen Karam’s script. Even in their slower moments, Karam’s words are quick, efficient, and representative of how real families experiencing real struggles communicate. It’s a shame the cast was unable to elevate these words to the dramatic heights of which they are capable.

Winning the 2006 Tony Award for Best Play, The Humans is a real-time drama set in a duplex apartment in New York City. Having just moved into their new abode, Brigid (a slightly grating Daisy Eagan) and Richard (Luis Vega) decide to host Thanksgiving dinner. The evening is already off to a rocky start thanks to the moving trucks being delayed. There is nearly no furniture in their apartment, which creates a less than inviting space for Brigid’s family upon their arrival. The young couple hopes they can nevertheless make the most of the night.

Upon their entrance, Brigid’s family begins laying on their opinions about her new home. Her mother, Deirdre (Pamela Reed), inquires why there is only a bathroom on the upper floor; her father, Erik (The Americans’ Richard Thomas), continually asks about the neighborhood’s saftey; her grandmother, Momo (Lauren Klein), is dementia-ridden and barely awake; and her sister Aimee (a splendid Therese Plaehn) desperately inquires about more toilet paper as she suffers from ulcerative colitis. All in all, it seems like it will be a standard family Thanksgiving.

For the most part, the plot leans into the dramatic of the trivial. But after the first few moments, its clear this family isn’t quite as collected as they try to make themselves at the beginning. Once the cracks begin to form in their bond, however, they continue to fall apart through this 90-minute production. Deirdre and Brigid begin the night cordial but then are at odds with each other the rest of the evening. Erik tries to focus on the niceties but drunkenly reveals he has lost his job and any promise of a pension for violating his employer’s morality clause. Aimee, try as she might, is unable to keep any semblance of cordiality in the end, and concludes the show in a self-righteous huff. Richard and Momo, meanwhile, spend most of the performance serving as comedic relief and a dramatic anchor, respectively. 

The Original Broadway Cast (touring photos not available) of The Humans interact with David Zinn's beautiful set.
©Broadway.com. Production Photos by Joan Marcus

“Slice of life” productions have become more and more popular over the past few years. Their costs are low, their stories are relatable, and their casts are typically small. I have no doubt The Humans wowed on Broadway thanks to a stellar cast. The same cannot be said about the touring version, whose six-person cast never feels like a family unit.

Most problematic was Ms. Eagan’s performance as Brigid. Her character is practically the embodiment of a millennial stereotype: she is a classical music major who is unable to find artistic work and instead bartends—making sure to be paid under the table so she can still collect unemployment. Turns out she hasn’t been getting any music jobs because her one letter of recommendation is anything but glowing. Her “woe is me” attitude wouldn’t be so grating if Ms. Eagan didn’t insist on playing the emotions so on the nose. The performance feels more of an indictment of millennial culture (Brigid would rather spend money on organic food than replacing lightbulbs) rather than an honest portrayal. Perhaps it is because Ms. Eagan is from a generation earlier (she was born in 1978) and is unable to line up her life experiences with those of her character.

The rest of the cast anchors the show with more reliable performances. Most notably is Ms. Plaehn as the competent and self-possessed elder daughter Aimee. As Aimee struggles to deal with a recent breakup with her girlfriend and the impending loss of her job (she’s been removed from the partner track at her law firm), Ms. Plaehn channels so many different emotions into each of her scenes that one is unable to look anywhere but here. Richard Thomas and Pamela Reed both do commendable work as Aimee and Brigid’s tired retirement-age parents who will never retire. Thanks to her winning performance, however, Ms. Plaehn is the real star of this production.

Joe Mantello’s direction is strong, and he makes great use of the beautiful two-story set designed by David Zinn. With a single spiral staircase, the pathway between upstairs and downstairs becomes an appropriate bottleneck for much of the show’s action. The remainder of the set, a building falling apart with a fresh coat of paint, is notable for its sheer ugliness. No furniture pieces match, the couch is oversized for the space it is in, and the kitchen is shut off from nearly everything else. Lighting designs by Justin Townsend are also quite impressive, particularly during the last twenty minutes of the show where lights begin dying out in the apartment, being replaced by LED lamps taken from Deirdre’s carefully curated care package.

There’s a lot to like about The Humans. Unfortunately, this touring production rests too much on the quality of the script rather than the quality of the performances. With such a disconnect, it is much harder to feel the humanity in this moving piece.

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