Stephen Karam has put together a captivating drama that looks at the frailties that we all have in “The Humans,” playing at the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway. This play looks at the lives of the Blake family and shows how they are affected by a family member suffering from dementia, a mother with weight and eating issues, a father with sleeping issues, a lesbian daughter who is a lawyer but will soon face employment issues, and a straight daughter who is a struggling composer. The family comes together for Thanksgiving and the verbal attacks, humor and sarcasm fly.
The family has secrets as all families do and those secrets are affecting their lives in many different ways. The fundamental thing highlighted in this production is that we are all human, we all make mistakes and we all have problems—and more importantly, that we have to love our families and stick together. When “Momo” Blake, the matriarch, is suffering from dementia, her son Erik and his wife, Deirdre, keep her with them and take care of her. They do this even though it is very trying for them because they remember the good times when she was her old self. Continuing to take care of her is something that they are committed to doing.
Daughter Aimee is a lawyer whose health issues are causing her serious career problems. Brigid, their younger daughter, is living with Richard, her boyfriend. This living situation does not sit well with her parents, and they both bring this up during the Thanksgiving visit. They talk about the importance of family and the commitment of marriage. Erik and Deirdre wish Brigid would gravitate towards religion and faith when faced with problems.
The conversations these family members have are typical to those of any typical family and we all know that revealing conversations can definitely occur during holiday meals. Karam has skillfully created a drama that anyone can relate to. You feel empathy for the characters and you see the love/hate relationships that can exist in any family.
“The Humans” is a touching drama that is relatable, engaging and poignantly performed. The cast includes Reed Birney as Erik, Jayne Houdyshell as Deirdre, Sarah Steele as Brigid, Cassie Beck as Aimee, Lauren Klein as “Momo” Blake and Arian Moayed as Richard. There is tremendously powerful direction by Joe Mantello.
For more information, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org.