The Humans postponed Victoria
Described as “a blisteringly funny, bruisingly sad and altogether wonderful play” by the New York Times, Antipodes Theatre Company brings local theatre lovers another powerful and poignant premiere season this September.
The Humans follows Erik Blake as he brings his wife and mother to the new home of his daughter and her boyfriend for Thanksgiving. His mother is living with Alzheimer’s and his other daughter has recently been the victim of a nasty breakup.
Disappointed that their daughters have left the safety of their rural town for urban lifestyles, and worried that they are abandoning their values, The Humans tells the story of their awkward family reunion. Over the course of the evening they grapple with aging, illness, and a changing economy, all while the much-anticipated gathering goes slowly awry. But as darkness falls outside, eerie things start to go bump in the night…
“The Humans is a rich text that presents real people in real time, yet somehow also manages to feel cosmic and universal,” explains Director Brandon Pape.
“The dialogue cuts to the heart of how families interact, what it means to know someone better than anyone else, to be both guarded and completely vulnerable, and to know how to push someone’s buttons. We’re really focused on creating an experience for the audience that goes beyond sitting back and watching a show. The set is enormous, and we want it to feel like the world of the play reaches out and wraps around them.”
“There’s also so much to mine within the text (and a bit of a twist ending), that I anticipate people walking away with differing opinions and lots to talk about after the lights go down.”
Running across the 2022 Dementia Action Week and during World Alzheimer’s Month, The Humans is the winner of four TONY Awards (including Best Play) and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A highly comical and clever examination of family dynamics, and how they evolve, this premiere season is a compelling addition to the Victorian Arts Calendar.
Launching in 2019, Antipodes Theatre Company seeks to provide a collaborative and inclusive environment for producing independent theatre in Melbourne.
They strive to maintain an inclusive and safe workspace, with productions that have a dedicated focus on working with women, ethnically diverse artists, people with disability, trans and non-binary people, seniors, and other members of historically or culturally marginalised communities who are not well represented on stage.
For more information about the postponed production visit the Antipodes website.
Media release supplied.
