Stage Review - The Humans (Sound Theatre Company)
Stage Review - The Humans
Presented By: Sound Theatre Company - Seattle, WA
Show Run: October 30 - November 22, 2025
Date Reviewed: Sunday, November 02, 2025 (opening weekend)
Run Time: 1 Hour, 45 Minutes (no intermission)
Reviewed By: Doug Knoop
The family gathering has been perfect fodder over the years for plays, movies and television. Holiday family gatherings add even more grist for the mill with traditions, religion and newcomers to liven up the proceedings. That being said, nothing you have seen before will prepare you for Sound Theatre Company staging of “The Humans,” a delicious mix of family dynamics, expectations and suspense
Set in a shabby, two-level, basement apartment in New York City’s Chinatown, Stephen Karam’s 2015 Tony Award-winning play begins with father Erik Blake staring off into the distance. He is a world weary working man, who has come to visit his daughter Brigid and her boyfriend Richard, who are hosting the Blake family Thanksgiving in their bare, “just moved in” new home.
We are then introduced to the rest of the family. There’s Brigid’s sibling Aimee, a lawyer who has recently suffered a breakup, her mother Deidre, and grandmother “Momo,” who suffers from severe dementia. As the evening progresses, old wounds are reopened, relationships are tested, emotions get heated and unsettling things begin to happen in and around the apartment.
That’s what sets “The Humans” apart from other dysfunctional family dramas. Something strange, possibly otherworldly, is going on in conjunction with the holiday gathering. Jacob Viramontes’ spooky lighting design, Josh Valdez’s eerie sound design and Burton Yuen’s stark, nearly empty set combine to make for an evening in stark contrast with a “typical” cozy family get together.
The acting ensemble is top tier. Rebecca Cort plays Brigid as headstrong but caring and has a nice bond with her sister. Erin Stewart nicely juggles Aimee’s troubles and concerns (her phone call to her ex was way too relatable). Patricia Haines-Ainsworrh’s Diedre can mother with the best of them, while Mary Machala’s Momo is mostly silent, mumbling and repeating phrases, but you know what they say about still waters. Vincent Millay makes the most of his role as Richard, trying to make nice with Brigid’s family while making sure the table is set and ready.
In father Erik, we find the heart and soul of this story. He’s a man who has worked all his life, married and fathered two children, kept secrets and seen some unsettling things. Look at Drew Hobson’s eyes. He conveys all that with a look.
Director Teresa Thuman handles the story and cast quite nimbly. She gives us themes that resonate in today’s American family and America as a whole. “The Humans" is funny and scary, while tough and relatable. It will keep you thinking long after the lights go out.
The Sound Theatre production of The Humans runs on stage at the Theatre Puget Sound Center Theatre at the Seattle Center Armory through November 22. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://soundtheatrecompany.org/.
Photo credit: Nikeesha Gooding
