Synopsis Of The Play 'The Humans' By Stephen Karam

The tony award winning play The Humans, by Stephen Karam opened at Theatre Calgary March 6th 2018. Directed by Calgary based Vanessa Porteous, The Humans follows the Blake family as they gather together in the newly acquired New York duplex of their youngest daughter, and her older boyfriend for their first thanksgiving in the new home. The night is filled with the sharing of memories and secrets, as we follow the family into a night of love and conflict. Beginning this essay with a description of what the audience sees before the play begins will help the reader to visualize the full lay out before digging into how Cameron Porteous’s use of a bi-level set characterized by subdued spaces helped highlight the emotional relationship between the mother and her family. Through the two storey Frame of the house, the spiral staircase and the lack of set dressing in the upper stage right corner,

She does this to protect her daughters and to make sure they are not embarrassed by their rude comments. This selfless act is Mrs. Blake’s defining trait throughout the play, as she consistently appears to have a cheery and lighthearted demeanour; attempting to remain strong to hold her family together but it was in that brief private moment where the audience gets a glimpse into the pain which the mother is feeling. Just as she works to keep the family connected the spiral staircase works to connect the two floors. She descends down the spiral staircase appearing to struggle walking down them which seems to show her pain metaphorically, as she struggles to remain strong , reengaging her façade. Just as the stairs are worn out, Deidra is both emotionally and physically frail. This spiral staircase is working as a single and weak connecter between not only the two floors but also between Deidra in this private moment to her family