THE HANGOVER REPORT – Stephen Karam’s astonishing THE HUMANS opens on Broadway, and it’s easily the best play of the season

26HUMANS-master675Earlier tonight, Stephen Karam’s extraordinary family drama The Humans opened on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre. When I saw an early preview performance of the play last fall at the Laura Pels (Roundabout Theatre’s Off-Broadway venue), I thought to myself, “this is exactly the kind of new, serious American drama that needs to be seen on Broadway but so rarely is.” Lo and behold, a few months later and to my very pleasant surprise, The Humans, with its spectacular Off-Broadway cast intact (sans pop celebrity!), has made its way to Broadway, thanks in large part to producer Scott Rudin’s faith in the piece. I had heard positive word of mouth from Chicago, where Mr. Karam’s play had enjoyed an earlier acclaimed run at the American Theater Company (in an altogether separate production). Nothing could have prepared me, however, for how good the play and Joe Mantello’s meticulous, stealthy production is (huge kudos to David Zinn’s imposing two-tiered set design and Fitz Patton’s peerless, layered sound design).

The Humans, which takes place in real-time over the course of 90 sublime minutes, depicts a working class family’s Thanksgiving gathering at one of the children’s newly leased, albeit decrepit, apartment in New York’s gentrifying Chinatown neighborhood. On paper, we’ve seen this before – a dysfunctional family dukes it out and dramatic fireworks fly. What makes Mr. Karam’s play so special is how utterly invested we become in each of the character’s plights. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play express the anxiety and existential pangs of living in present-day America as acutely and accurately as in The Humans – particularly in the play’s harrowing final symbolist moments. This is raw, bruising stuff. The play’s uncanny ability to portray all this while delicately weaving some of the finest naturalistic playwriting in recent memory is a testament to Mr. Karam’s considerable gifts as an observer and interpreter of the human condition.

The cast is one of the tightest ensembles I’ve seen in my many years of avid theatergoing. Individually, each actor is tremendous, but I must single out Reed Birney and Jayne Houdyshell (as the family’s patriarch and matriarch), two of New York’s very finest and hardest working actors, for their quietly heart-stopping performances. If these two aren’t recognized with at least a bombardment of acting nominations in a few months, I’ll be sure to eat my hat. However, collectively as an ensemble, the six-member company achieves something quite remarkable; they disregard the limitations of live performance to achieve that ultimate goal – complete transcendence through art.  The Humans is likely the best play of the season (perhaps years?). It should not be missed.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

THE HUMANS
Broadway, Play
Helen Hayes Theatre
1 hour, 35 minutes (without an intermission)
Through July 24

Categories: Broadway, Theater

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