1. Stephen Karam By Conner Fabrega2 + 2 +
The Humans
Stephen Karam
By Conner Fabrega

2. Publication & Awards Date: Sept. 30, 2015 Awards:
Drama Desk: Outstanding Play, Drama Desk Special Award for Outstanding Ensemble, Sound Design, Lighting Design, Playwriting, Distinguished Performance by an Actress (Off Broadway)
Tony: Best Play, Best Featured Actor/tress Best Scenic Design
Drama League: Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play
Outer Critics Circle Awards: Outstanding New Broadway Play
New York Drama Critics Circle: Best Play
Publication & Awards

3. Title significance
The Humans’ title is a simple term Karam puts on a complex play with complex characters. It is typical when humans make mistakes they just say “Oh well, they’re only human it’s okay”. This is essentially what Karam is doing. Within his play we see characters with many archetypes that can be seen as annoying (nagging mom, lazy father, etc.) but to Karam they are only human).

4. Setting
Thanksgiving, Turn of the Century/Modern Day, Brigid’s Apartment (China-town)
The Setting more or less represents a modern America. Because of that we see modern day problems within the family such as a somewhat absent father, a grandmother with dementia, and a dysfunctional family through and through.
The thanksgiving dinner is held at Brigid’s house (contrary to the parents house). Many times through the play we see Dierdre (the matriarch) disparage the house because of it’s cleanliness and security.

5. Themes How families interact after internal drama. Safety vs. Security
How grandparents with degenerative brain diseases affect families.

6. Main Conflict & Protagonist/antagonist
Conflict: Internal conflict between the whole Blake family ideals.
Protagonist: The Blake Family
Antagonist: Internal opinions that come to life in noises outside of the apartment.
Main Conflict & Protagonist/antagonist

7. Summary
The family enters the apartment and hears a strange noise (Inciting Incident).
Everyone starts eating and drinking and there are more noises.
The family sings to Momo who has dementia and she doesn’t react normally.
The family does their traditional Thanksgiving traditions.
More Spooky sounds.
Erik reveals he had an affair with a coworker, the family react accordingly. (Climax)
More sounds, family leaves.

8. Characters
Erik Blake: Patriarch of Family, had an affair with co-worker.
Deirdre: Matriarch of Family, complains about Brigid’s apartment a lot.
Brigid: Owner of apartment, buts heads with mostly everyone in family.
Richard: Brigid’s significant other.
Aimee: Brigid’s sister, just got broken up with from Girlfriend.
Momo: Grandmother with dementia.

9. Quotes “You can never come back” -Momo
The line emphasized the idea of being unable to return to normalcy after an unexpected event.
Erik: I think if you moved to Pennsylvania your quality of life would shoot up. Brigid: Uh, if I moved to Pennsylvania, YOUR quality of life would shoot up tremendously.
This quote emphasized the idea of empty nesting. Obviously Erik wants Brigid to move back to Scranton because he misses her.
Quotes

10. Personal Reaction
Since this is set in modern day there wasn’t any real unknown references. I thoroughly enjoyed this play. Karam flawlessly collected stereotypes from families and put them inside a work. My favorite scene is when the family sang to Momo and she didn’t respond like she normally does. I’m not twisted but this scene is very touching because dementia patients, when exposed to music normally have positive responses but she has the opposite.

11. Bibliography
“The Humans (Play).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum ans_(play).

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