By Billy McEntee
In the program note for his play The Brothers Size, playwright and co-director Tarell Alvin McCraney reflects on presenting his show nearly two decades after its premiere: “When I wrote the play, the United States had the highest level of incarceration of any ‘developed’ country in the world, and that’s still the case today.”
That point resonates deeply in a play about a man recently on probation. Worried how he may get caught next, he calms his brother, saying, “I ain’t about to scale the Capitol.” January 6 insurrectionists have fared relatively well, thanks in part to President Trump; they are also predominantly white.
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McCraney’s play, partly inspired by Yoruba West African culture and running at Off-Broadway at The Shed, finely examines how two Black brothers navigate life after one of them is incarcerated. It’s a heavy topic within which McCraney and co-director Bijan Sheibani find many laughs and tremendous performances.
McCraney reunites with André Holland (Moonlight), who is riveting as the resentful yet loving older brother, Ogun, who feels he has failed when his younger brother lands in jail. Mid-play, Holland soars through a sprawling, emotional aria about his specific approach to brotherhood that stops the show and hearts.
Holland shares the stage with formidable co-stars: Alani iLongwe as younger brother Oshoozi, who has an easier bond with friend Elegba (Malcolm Mays). More jocular, the two share a sense of playfulness, but also maybe more.
The Brothers Size is a beating play, sometimes literally. In this production, onstage musician Munir Zakee lends percussion snaps, pulses, and punchlines to heighten the fable style of the piece. Actors speak stage directions aloud, and amid scenic designer Suzu Sakai’s minimalist design, they writhe and run around the theater-in-the-round space in athletic displays.
As in the Oscar-winning Moonlight, McCraney unravels the nuances, vulnerabilities, and shimmering love that shape Black masculinity. In this stellar revival, the performances and production match the writer’s clarity.
The Brothers Size plays at The Shed through September 28.
‘The Brothers Size’ takeaway
Tarell Alvin McCraney is having a busy year, and not just on New York City stages. In 2023, he was named the new artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Last season saw the premiere of his latest play, We Are Gathered, which subsequently transferred to Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage, where real-life couples married or renewed their vows at each performance.
For those interested in diving deeper into McCraney’s writing, The Brother/Sister Plays collects three of the playwright’s works in one edition.
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