Michael Mulheren and Victoria Clark Photo by Emilio Madrid

Human Things takes place on a lonely atoll in the South Pacific, where Margaret, played with fine conviction by Rebecca Robles, is a young ecologist studying the nesting of migratory birds on the island. She is getting more and more depressed by the steady, climate-change-linked reduction of nests over time and the way the world seems to be falling apart. Adding to Margaret's angst is her frustration with her husband, Greg, a likable enough fellow who, in Ben Rosenfield's earnest performance, is struggling to find a reason and purpose for being out there; I certainly felt it was a losing battle on both Greg's and the audience's part. You have to wonder at the competence of any scientific survey group that would strand two blatantly unprepared naifs such as Greg and Margaret in the middle of nowhere. As it is, Greg's drifting and Margaret's emotional slump do not make their life together any easier.

Just at a moment when the young couple is having a bit of a respite, the stranded Bo and Darce arrive. An older couple, they have wrecked their sailboat on a reef and seek assistance. Michael Mulheren is fine as the annoyingly easygoing and somewhat detached Bo, while Victoria Clark's Darce engages even as she irritates with her advice and requests. Suffice it to say, both of their characters' observations and suggestions do not make things any easier for Margaret and Greg, especially as a high-level storm (Greg, being hapless again, had unintentionally muted the storm warnings) catches them all unawares and causes Margaret to announce something surprising about her condition.

In the post-storm second act, Darce–who is literally stuck in an agonizing position–becomes the pivot around which the other characters desperately rotate, and Clark takes an already skilled performance and makes it truly unforgettable. Robles and Rosenfield also earn kudos for their attempts to rise to the dramatic occasion, but while I can see the desperation and fear that Margaret and Greg are exhibiting, they are hamstrung by a script that is too intent on making some sort of statement rather than focusing on the gut-wrenching situation at hand.

Adding to the problem is the fact that playwright Joshua Owen steers the action into the realm of pure science fiction. Perhaps Owen wanted to use this surprising plot twist to highlight the already strident arguments regarding humanity's self-destructive tendencies, as well as who–or what–deserves to survive, and whether it is even all worth it. However, the incongruity further undermines a situation that already has trouble keeping its focus.

Rory McGregor clearly has choices to make when directing Human Things, and his best decision is to allow the performers to dominate the show, so that they carry the audience across its shakier moments through sheer personality.

The sets for Human Things are highly effective, and scenic designer Jacob Bers truly excels with an amazing piece of stagecraft that Victoria Clark uses to devastating effect. Reza Behjat and Ian Scot are no slouches either when it comes to deploying their lighting and sound designs. In addition, costume designer Amanda Roberge understands that these characters are dressed for maximum comfort and are unprepared for the chaos to come.

Human Things is one of those shows that should be watched primarily for the skills of the cast. For all its good intervals and actually funny exchanges, the play is all too often let down by its own inconsistencies and finally finished off by some regrettable surrealism.