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| Tarell Alvin McCraney-Photo courtesy of the Vineyard Theatre
*Click link to a video of Mr. McCraney speaking about his work:
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Friday I was prepared for another evening of lackluster Philadelphia theatre. But
the Simpatico Theatre Project production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play The Brothers Size immediately engaged me. Playwright McCraney, a recipient of one of
this year’s MacArthur “Genius” Awards, expertly and seamlessly intertwined
Yoruba mythology into an African-American social landscape and towed the audience
into the world of Ogun and Oshoosi Size; two brothers seemingly different but
bonded by their love for one another and a third character, Elegba, who shares
a relationship, on several levels, with one of the brothers.
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| Akeem Davis as Oshoosi Size in THE BROTHERS SIZE. Photo credit: Daniel Kontz. |
Ogun, the older of the brothers, who is hardworking and
reliable, owns his mechanics garage and, of course, the symbolism of cars and
freedom is heavy in this play. Oshoosi,
the younger brother, has recently been released from prison, where he served
time with Elegba as well, and has returned to his brother’s home to start life again,
on the outside. In McCraney’s expert
hands and in Simpatico’s equally skilled execution of this play, they jointly
pull back these macho scabs, these layers of deferred dreams, and from a pit of
denial, neglect and injustice, they excise and bring to the surface the raw,
recognizable humanity of these three men.
Despite the starkness of the stage design, which was
brilliant, McCraney clearly sees these characters and their struggles in epic
terms, worthy of being presented on a world stage, eclipsed by nothing. Who heralds the tale of working class
African-American men, of Black men who love men, of struggling folks who want
to revel in the touch of freedom? What also reels in the audience is the
language of The Brothers Size. There is a rhythm to a lot of the dialogue,
but the effect of the actors speaking their inner thoughts and the stage
directions brings the audience inside of the characters; you are swimming
inside of them and it is not a smooth ride as theatre should be.
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| Akeem Davis (left) and Carlo Campbell in "The Brothers Size" at Simpatico Theatre Project. (DANIEL KONTZ) |
Bravo to all those involved in this production.
The last performance of The Brothers Size is tomorrow, November
3, 2013. Sunday is a 2:00 p.m.
performance at the Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio Five. Click here for more info. http://simpaticotheatre.org/landing/season/the-brothers-size/
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