Rebecca Durance Hine

DLT welcomes Rebecca Durance Hine, appearing in the production of The Humans by Stephen Karam that opens our 2022-23 season.

Her Favourite Roles
Lydia in Big Love and Annette in God of Carnage, though I suspect Brigid Blake is going to take over one of those spots!

Rebecca on the Theme of The Humans

The theme of The Humans is right in the title, humans, more specifically, the human experience and its many complexities. The Blakes all experience the same events, but they are perceived, reacted to, and internalised in ways unique to each character. There is a lot to be learned from observing how they interact with each other over the course of the play, and determining who you relate to and side with most is an interesting exercise in self-reflection.

Rebecca and Her Connection with Her Character

Brigid Blake is an artist, like me, and I see a lot of defensiveness of that art within her, something I have experienced. When we choose an unconventional career path, we are inevitably going to run into people who make us feel as though we have to defend our choices. If we’re lucky, we also have people in our corner, cheering us on and supporting us and seeing the hard work that goes into that choice, but there will always be others at the opposite end of the spectrum. As we grow and learn and mature, we stop putting stock in the judgements of others, but Brigid isn’t there yet. I see my younger self in her, both vulnerable and desperately dreaming.

The Role of the Set in The Humans

The set is everything; it’s a seventh character. It is not only the area on which the Blakes play out this scene from their lives, but it represents so much from their lives as well. This play is a microcosm of the lifelong dynamics that exist in their relationships with one another, the underlying tensions rippling beneath the surface, and the set is a visual representation of that. It is dynamic and active itself. It is awkward at times. It offers hierarchies, sharp edges and dark corners, soft landings and hopes, familiarity and strangeness all in one. I suspect it will be worth coming just for the set.