"Stephen Karam’s Tony Award winning one-act play, “The Humans,” is given a powerful, emotional presentation by the Wilbury Theatre Group at their WaterFire Arts Center space under the brilliant direction of Josh Short...These six actors come together as an ensemble – a family -- in perfect synchrony to make you care for them in spite of all their flaws."
— Warwick Beacon

ABOUT

THE
HUMANS
by Stephen Karam

Irish-American Erik Blake has brought his wife and his mother for Thanksgiving at the new home of his daughter and her boyfriend. His mother (affectionately referred to as “Momo”) is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and his other daughter Aimee has recently been the victim of a nasty breakup. The parents are disappointed that their daughters have left home to struggle in New York City, and worried that they are abandoning their values. The Humans tells the story of the quintessential family reunion: a group of people who love each other but still wrestle with basic human fears: old age, abandonment, poverty, and death.
 
Winner of the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play.


​This production is made possible by
​a generous donation from the Florence Family Fund.​
 

"A successful production of The Humans relies on the strength of a few different factors, the cast being one of them. Every single actor on-stage at the Wilbury...is top-notch in their role."
— Broadway World

PRESS + MEDIA

"Stephen Karam’s Tony Award winning one-act play, The Humans, is given a powerful, emotional presentation by the Wilbury Theatre Group at their WaterFire Arts Center space under the brilliant direction of Josh Short...These six actors come together as an ensemble – a family -- in perfect synchrony to make you care for them in spite of all their flaws. The Humans is a play for our times. See it." - Warwick Beacon

​"Every single actor on-stage at the Wilbury is top-notch in their role...Be sure to catch The Humans at Wilbury Theatre Group's dynamic space before it ends...I promise you won't be able to take your eyes off the stage." - Broadway World

"Absolutely riveting...Director Josh Short, working from a fabulous two-tiered set designed by Monica Shinn, brings out the humor and the pathos of this dysfunctional group of people. The staging is unique in how we can see multiple scenes being played at the same time. The performers all create deeply textured and believable characters, deftly balancing comedy and drama." - Edge Providence

"Family can bring out the best and the worst in us as we gather for the feast. These folks run the gamut of feelings together... You will ride the roller coaster of impassioned emotions with them as they bob through the issues, and just might laugh and cry along with them as well!​" ​- Motif Magazine

"The two-level apartment in which the action takes place - designed by Monica Shinn and making good use of the Wilbury's malleable space - is very much the picture of a place recently moved into, with cardboard boxes everywhere and bare walls...when combined with fantastic light and sound design by Andy Russ, it is practically its own character, adding punctuation to the action happening within."
— Broadway World

"Be sure to catch 'The Humans' at Wilbury Theatre Group's dynamic space before it ends...The premise may sound straightforward, but I promise you won't be able to take your eyes off the stage."
— Broadway World

CAST + CREATIVE TEAM
​

Jim O'Brien*

Rachel Dulude*

Jeanine Kane*

Jessie March

Carol Varden

Dave Rabinow

THE HUMANS
By Stephen Karam
Directed by Josh Short

Costume Design by Matt Oxley
Light + Sound Design by Andy Russ
​Intimacy Direction by Susie Schutt
Set Design by Monica Shinn
Asst. Direction by Jeff Ginsberg
Technical Direction by Dave Carney

Stage Management by Allison Marchetti*
Asst. Stage Management by Maxine Wolfson
Costume Asst. by Arianna Davey

Videography by ​Oliver SydeSho Arrias
Production Photos by Erin X. Smithers
​Press / Media Inquiries: Niki Healy 

​*Appears courtesy Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

Stephen Karam is the Tony Award-winning author of The Humans,  Sons of the Prophet and Speech & Debate. For his work he’s received two Drama Critics Circle Awards, an OBIE Award and is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Stephen recently directed his first feature film, a rethought version of The Humans for A24 films, released in 2021.  He wrote a film adaptation of Chekhov’s The Seagull starring Annette Bening, which was released by Sony Picture Classics. His adaptation of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard premiered on Broadway as part of Roundabout’s 2016 season. Recent honors include the inaugural Horton Foote Playwriting Award, the inaugural Sam Norkin Drama Desk Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, a Lucille Lortel Award, Drama League Award,  and Hull-Warriner Award. 
​
Stephen teaches graduate playwriting at The New School. He is a graduate of Brown University and grew up in Scranton, PA.

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"'The Humans'  is a play for our times. See it."
— Warwick Beacon

2022/23 Memberships

Join us at Providence's home for groundbreaking artists and adventurous audiences. Membership includes admission to all our 2022/23 productions, including the world premiere of Rose Weaver’s Silhouette of a Silhouette, the 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Play, The Humans by Stephen Karam, Obie Award winner We’re Gonna Die by Young Jean Lee, Indecent from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel, the world premiere of the new musical Off With Their Heads by Darcie Dennigan, and more.

Become a Member for our 2022/23 Season today ​and never miss a thing.

Learn More

ABOUT

An award-winning*, not-for-profit professional theatre company, the Wilbury Theatre Group engages our community in thought-provoking conversation through new works, reimagined classics and adventurous playmaking. We are idealistic, ambitious, and stubborn in our resolve to create theatre that entertains, enlightens, and inspires.

​*WINNER of the 2018 National Theatre Company Grant from the American Theatre Wing (The Tony Awards).

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