'Human Things' Off-Broadway review — marriage is an island

Read our review of Human Things, the Off-Broadway-debut play of writer Joshua Owen, directed by Rory McGregor at the West End Theatre through October 18.

Summary

• Human Things is a drama about the relationships of two married couples on a remote atoll before and after a catastrophic storm
• The play tries to tackle a wide range of topics including marriage trouble, climate change, parenthood, and existential dread and ends up inconsistent
• The show is recommended for fans of two-time Tony Award-winning cast member Victoria Clark and fans of works by new writers

If you’re diving into the story of a couple, a remote South Pacific atoll is a decent starting point. Marriage, after all, is an island — two people creating a world together, surrounded by love, conflict, time, and the sea of mortality. What could go wrong?

So, writer Joshua Owen deserves credit for the GPS of Human Things, his new Off Broadway play that’s actually a bit too all-over-the-map. The focus is on researcher Margaret (Rebeca Robles) and her engineer husband, Greg (Boardwalk Empire’s Ben Rosenfield), but there’s more. Much more.

Climate change, human purpose and impact, death cults, motherhood, agency, and extinction are other topics that wash up on the tiny isle. So does a huge spiny gold egg that smacks of Alien. Or Jurassic Park. Or who knows.

It all adds up to a show that’s more peculiar than provocative, as Owen’s reach exceeds his grasp. Still, save for a few windy speeches, including one about a dream and others meant to illustrate colorful character backgrounds, the dialogue feels real enough. Another plus is director Rory McGregor’s cast of four fine actors, who hug the curves of the script.

At the start, Margaret and Greg are alone on the island, where she’s years into documenting a declining population of migratory birds. He mostly assists. Cracks in the relationship are clear. “Where the hell were you?” she hollers repeatedly after she’s spent the night asleep on the beach, and he never even looked for her.

The approach of a Category 5 storm stirs the plot, along with retirees Darce (two-time Tony winner Victoria Clark) and her husband Bo (Tony nominee Michael Mulheren) crash-landing after a boating accident. Yes, it’s a stretch. The other couple’s arrival is a naked plot device and a chance to underline select themes.

That includes Darce casually dropping an insight about a human thing — “the affliction of protagonism” — as she calls it, speaking plainly as a mouthpiece for Owen. “The pathological need to do things. [...] But we really don’t matter all that much,” Darce declares. “Life is mostly just sitting and watching.” Got it. We are not in control, people.

So it goes with a play. Sitting and watching Human Things, we observe a story of life and death and mystery and survival. Along the way, the concerns go from existential to, well, eggs-istential. It’s ambitious, yes, but scrambled.

Human Things summary

Human Things follows a married couple studying birds on a remote South Pacific island. The arrival of an older couple shows hairline fractures in the other pair’s relationship, which are then cracked wide open in the aftermath of a catastrophic storm surge.

Human Things marks playwright Joshua Owen’s Off-Broadway debut. The play was previously called Gods of Mercy at a 2025 reading.

What to expect at Human Things

Theatregoers surround the action on two sides of Jacob Bers’s spare set, which suggests Greg and Margaret's living/working quarters on the island with a few sticks of furniture and radio equipment. Between acts, the audience is asked to leave their seats. Upon reentering, they see a new, post-storm set — and who made it through the tempest.

Human Things runs 2 hours, including the intermission.

What audiences are saying about Human Things

Theatregoers shares mixed responses to Human Things's performances and the story on online platforms like Mezzanine and Reddit.

• “Victoria Clark’s Act 2 is worth the cost of admission. Really ambitious debut play from Joshua Owen, swinging for [Anne] Washburn esoterica or maybe existential allegory. [...] I feel like it’s rare to see a playwright have this distinct a voice on their first try. He’ll be on my radar.” - Mezzanine user Sarah Tritz
• “Intimate four hander about climate change, the end of the world, mortality, how we treat each other, giant spiky alien eggs, etc.” - Mezzanine user Derek Kahle
• “[F]umbled hard in the second act [...] Over the top in being on the nose in the second act, and had an ending that almost made me laugh out loud.” - Reddit user u/parking-act-29

Who should see Human Things

• Human Things is Joshua Owen’s first major NYC production. Theatregoers who like being on the ground floor of an artist’s career will want to be in the audience.
• Victoria Clark has won Tony Awards for The Light in the Piazza and Kimberly Akimbo. She moves between musicals and plays with aplomb, as seen here, and her fans should see her.
• Owen and Rebeca Robles are married in real life. See Human Things if you enjoy watching real-life partners working in collaboration.

Learn more about Human Things off Broadway

Joshua Owen takes a big swing — too big — in his play about life and death and everything in between. Despite its fine cast, the show drifts off course and leaves audiences marooned.

Learn more and get Human Things tickets on New York Theatre Guide. Human Things is at the West End Theatre through October 18.

Photo credit: Human Things off Broadway. (Photos by Emilio Madrid)