The Humans at The old Fitz. Photo: John Marmaras
If Stephen Karam didn’t have Tolstoy’s famous phrase “each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” in his head when he was writing The Humans, then he missed a trick. Because this family of humans is exceedingly unhappy, each one of them quite miserable in his or her own way. Only one of them, and he’s an in-law, may have some hope because at 38 he’s been through his depression and “dealt with it”, though given the company he’s mixing with I wouldn’t be holding my breath.
Even the set is unhappy, a run-down flat in New York, where everything – the upstairs neighbour, the garbage compactor, the laundry room – adds noise, sometimes perceived as threatening to those struggling to cope with life.
This is fly-on-the-wall theatre where we get to see all the dirty laundry being aired (and, as I’ve said, even hear the laundry room). Everyone is completely stressed out and in an atmosphere laced with economic depression, fear and illness there’s nowhere to go, nothing to do but soldier on. Here’s a family that believes in “stoic sadness, not depression”; that declares “whatever gifts God has given us” one day will all go, and wonders about the difference between “going through life unhappy alone or being unhappy with someone else”.
It’s the end of the American dream. No one’s making any money, the kids aren’t doing better than the parents, it costs too much money just to be alive… and the spectre of 9/11 still haunts Erik who was there on the day and narrowly escaped being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There’s no dramatic trajectory to The Humans, just a faint feeling of hope that, despite everything, this family will hang together. At least I hope that’s what Karam is telling us as he holds up his mirror to life in today’s US/Western world.
On the positive side, the cast and casting are great. Couldn’t ask for better performances from poor old Momo (Diana McLean), whose dementia has rendered her a shell of the woman she was once; from the patriarch Erik (Arky Michael), whose life has not turned out the way he wanted; his long-suffering, hardworking wife Dierdre (Di Adams) whose solace is with God, and bickering about her children not being lawfully wed. The two daughters are also wonderfully portrayed: Aimee (Eloise Snape), who has recently been dumped by her long term girlfriend, lost her job in a law firm and is suffering ulcerative colitis; and Brigid (Madeleine Jones), whose passion for composing music isn’t enough to keep her from unemployment benefits and casual work as a bartender. Together with Richard (Reza Momenzada), Brigid is hosting the Thanksgiving dinner when everyone gets to vent their sadness and spleen.
The ensemble cast is just brilliant and the direction by Anthea Williams is superb. Just don’t go expecting to be enlightened, about anything. This is a play that has been labelled “blisteringly funny and bruisingly sad”, and I have to go with the bruisingly sad. Like I said at the beginning, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
The Humans, from Mophead Productions, will play at the Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo until October 7.
