Looking to add another notch to our adventure belt, Erin and I stepped out in the chilly winter night and into the oldest theater in America, the Walnut Street Theatre, for The Humans. The air was filled with the buzz of chatter and laughter. Spotlights illuminated the box office windows, the patrons excitedly waiting for their tickets. This was opening night!
"The quality of a play is the quality of its ideas."—George Bernard Shaw
After receiving our playbills, our eyes focused on the stage. Before us stood the apartment set, adorned in painstaking detail. Smudges from fingertips and wind-thrown dirt frosted the convincingly original window of the apartment; stains from past occupants and neglectful upstairs neighbors filled the walls of the newly acquired space. We were transported; we were in love.
This play, a winner of over 20 awards including the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play, 2016 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, and 2016 Obie Award for Playwriting, is an absolute must-see. Lost in the natural chemistry and talent of the actors, the everyday fades as you become the fly on the wall you've always wanted to be. Hope soars, pain penetrates, and we are all invited along for the experience. Running through March 4, there are plenty of opportunities to join another family!