Oh the HUMANITY! Erven’s take on Tony Winning ‘The Humans’

Fresno City College is presenting its take on the play “The Humans” by Stephen Karam in the FCC Theatre during the last week of February and the first week of March.Performances take place on Feb. 28 and 29 and March 5, 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m., March 4 at 1 p.m. and March 1, 6 and 7 at 2 p.m. “The Humans” was a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize and won the 2016 Tony Awards for Best Play.

“The Humans” is a drama about a family in Manhattan dealing with issues during the Thanksgiving holidays. It explores and expands upon the emotions that a typical family would feel during the holiday season. 

“The Theatre Department at FCC consistently produces plays that are current and speak to issues that are relevant to today. ‘The Humans’ definitely fits that description,” said actor James Knudsen who plays the father in this production.

Admissions range from $14 for general admission, $12 for students, staff and seniors, and $8 for a group of 10 or more.

The FCC Theatre Department also has a Facebook page where they update the public on upcoming shows.

The Munro Review on Youtube, where Donald Munro reviews plays around Fresno, spoke with James Knudsen, Brandi Martin and Christy Ania Hathaway, three actors involved with the production. They offered their insights and opinions on what audience members will get out of watching the play.

“The Humans” is different from other plays produced by FCC because the faculty members have more roles. FCC’s iteration of “The Humans” is also double cast so certain roles and performances will have an almost entirely different cast.

“It’s relatable to anyone except for children, and it’s not because of horrible language, violence or sex. It would be boring to them,” said director Charles Erven.

Along with the use of unique sound design during the show, the set is also innovative because of the use of an upstairs and downstairs. Scenes will sometimes occur simultaneously between the two stories.

Opening night is Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Theatre. Tickets can be purchased before the show at the box office.