Plot Summary
Stephen Karam’s play “The People” first premiered in 2014. The plot centers around the Blake family, who assemble to celebrate Thanksgiving in a dilapidated apartment in Chinatown, Manhattan.
Erik Blake, a middle-aged man, and his wife Deirdre have flown from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to New York to see their daughter Brigid, who has lately moved there with her boyfriend Richard.
Brigid and Richard reside in a duplex apartment rented with the assistance of Richard’s rich parents. The flat, on the other hand, is not without faults: weird noises and a leaky ceiling are just a few of the concerns that the family must contend with.
Tensions begin to build as the family gathers for Thanksgiving dinner. Erik is having difficulty with his career and is concerned about his aging parents, who are experiencing financial issues.
Deirdre is attempting to keep the family together while also caring for her husband and parents-in-law. Brigid is dealing with health issues and the stress of starting a new career, while Richard is juggling the responsibilities of his job and his parent’s expectations.
The family begins to share their deepest anxieties and insecurities as the evening unfolds. Erik tells his girls about his despair and his concerns about growing older.
Brigid discloses that she is pregnant, but she is unsure if she wants to keep the child. Richard admits to having anxiousness and that his parents have been pressuring him to marry Brigid.
Strange things begin to happen in the flat as the night progresses. Strange noises are heard and odd figures are seen moving in the darkness by the household. They come across a concealed entrance that leads to a dark and strange cellar at one point.
They also hear footsteps coming from the apartment above, despite Brigid and Richard’s claims that no one lives there.
As the play comes to a close, the family is forced to confront their concerns as well as the truth of their predicament.
They understand they are not alone in their challenges and must rely on one another to get through the challenging days ahead. Despite their difficulties, they gather to celebrate the holiday and the love they share as a family.
What Are the Themes of Stephen Karam’s The Humans?
Stephen Karam’s play “The Humans” explores several themes, including:
The Blake family and their difficulties to come together and bond around Thanksgiving meal are central to the drama. It investigates family relationship dynamics such as love, support, tension, and conflict.
Each character in the play is struggling with their own sense of identity and purpose. They are all dealing with various difficulties, such as financial hardship, job insecurity, health issues, and personal relationships.
The play investigates how these difficulties affect their sense of self and how they navigate their own identities.
Aging: The play explores the difficulties of aging and how it affects people and their relationships. Erik, the patriarch of the family, is facing his own mortality and the decline of his parents’ health.
The play delves into how aging affects his sense of self and how he deals with the challenges of growing older.
Erik’s struggles with depression are an important part of the play, emphasizing the importance of mental health and the stigma associated with it. The play examines the effects of mental illness on individuals and their families, emphasizing the importance of support and understanding.
Socioeconomic status: The play questions the concept of the American Dream and investigates the effects of economic inequality on individuals and families.
The Blake family is experiencing financial difficulties, and the play explores how this affects their relationships and ability to achieve their goals.
Overall, “The Humans” is a complex exploration of family, identity, aging, mental health, and socioeconomic status, emphasizing modern life’s challenges and the importance of connection and support.
Why Did Stephen Karam Write the Humans?
“The Humans” was written by Stephen Karam to explore the anxieties and uncertainties of contemporary American life.
Karam told American Theatre magazine that the play was inspired by his personal experiences living in New York City and coping with the difficulties of family relationships, aging, and economic inequity.
Karam was also interested in delving into the complexities of modern family life, specifically how families can struggle to connect and communicate in an increasingly fragmented and isolating world.
He wanted to write a play that would strike a chord with audiences and prompt them to reflect on their own experiences with family, identity, and the search for meaning and purpose in life.
Furthermore, Karam was inspired to write a play that would challenge traditional theatrical conventions and push the limits of what is possible on stage.
“The Humans” has a distinct set design that allows the action to unfold on two levels, emphasizing the physical and emotional distances between the characters.
Overall, Karam wrote “The Humans” to explore the complexities and challenges of modern American life while also pushing the limits of what is possible in modern theater.
What Was the Point of The Film the Humans?
The film adaptation of Stephen Karam’s play “The Humans,” directed by Karam himself, aims to reach a wider audience and explore the play’s issues in a new media.
The film follows the Blake family as they meet for Thanksgiving meal in a run-down apartment in New York City, remaining mostly loyal to the original play.
One of the film’s main goals is to show the hardships and anxieties of modern American life. The film, like the play, tackles issues such as family, identity, age, mental health, and socioeconomic status, and depicts the difficulties that many people encounter in overcoming these difficulties.
Furthermore, the film explores the power of human connection and the value of family support in times of distress. Despite their differences and tensions, the Blake family members eventually come together and find strength in their common experiences and connections.
Essentially, the goal of “The Humans” was to broaden the play’s audience and explore the issues of the play in a new media. It depicts the difficulties and complexities of modern American life, emphasizing the value of personal connection and family support in times of adversity.
What Kind of Play Is the Humans?
Stephen Karam’s play The Humans can be classified as either a drama or a dark comedy. It follows the Blake family as they celebrate Thanksgiving in a run-down apartment in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood.
Family tensions, secrets, and anxieties bubble to the surface throughout the evening, revealing the complexities of the American family in the twenty-first century.
The play explores themes such as aging, illness, financial difficulties, and the pursuit of happiness and meaning in life. While it contains many moments of humor, it also has a poignant and at times unsettling tone, as the characters confront their fears and uncertainties.
Ultimately, The Humans is a thought-provoking exploration of the human condition that invites audiences to reflect on their own experiences of family, identity, and the challenges of contemporary life.