For most Milwaukee theater audiences, The Brothers Size will be an introduction to the work of talented newcomer Tarell Alvin McCraney. Although hailed as among America’s brightest new playwrights, McCraney has had only one other play, In the Red and Brown Water, produced here in conjunction with a local university several years ago. Given this fact, one cannot assume that local audiences will be well-versed in Yoruba culture, which is the source for McCraney’s trio of plays. The Brothers Size is the second play in the trilogy yet it was written first. Yoruba beliefs originated in Africa and were carried along with slaves to America. McCraney’s trilogy is based on familiar deities within the Yoruba culture, which is still practiced in areas of the South. So it’s no surprise that McCraney’s trilogy, all written within three years, are set in a fictional Louisiana town. In addition to Red and Brown Water and The Brothers Size, McCraney’s third play is, Marcus, Or the Secret of Sweet. The Brothers Size opened Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2009. The other two plays have had productions in top-rated regional theaters such as the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The playwright contends that each part of the trilogy stands on its own, and so it is with The Brothers Size . The cast consists of three African-American men, and the term “brothers” is used figuratively as well as literally. Two of the men, Ogun and the younger Oshoosi, are actual brothers. The third, Elegba, is Oshoosi’s best friend. We learn in the production notes that the names and a variation of this story are familiar to those who understand Yoruba culture. However, the plot is intriguing enough to stand on its own. Both poetic and powerful, The Brothers Size creates three memorable characters, caught up in a web that perhaps only one can escape. As befitting a tribal ritual, the play begins with a fourth character, a musician (James Tony Finlayson). He sets the tone with sounds from various found objects, ranging from an overturned plastic garbage can to an old vacuum hose. The three characters soon make a dramatic entrance, stomping in unison as the form a tight-knit group. They are dressed only from the waist down throughout the play. Ogun Size (Travis A. Knight), the oldest, is a hard worker who is trying to make a go of his dilapidated car repair shop. We learn later how much he has sacrificed for his younger brother Oshoosi (Andrew Muwonge). He is disappointed in Oshoosi’s aimless ways, which eventually sent him to prison. Without parents to guide and protect them, Ogun seems more upset and guilty over Oshoosi’s prison stay than Oshoosi himself. Oshoosi becomes best friends with Elegba (Marques Causey) while they both served their prison terms. Ogun isn’t pleased that Oshoosi is hanging out with someone he met in prison, despite Elegba’s humorous and engaging nature. The play takes place on an impressively realistic set. It includes the dilapidated garage door to Ogun’s car repair shop, as well as the assorted debris that surrounds it. The musician sits in one corner throughout the entire production, as if giving musical “cues” to the characters at certain points. A turning point in the play is when Elegba somehow grants Oshoosi’s wish by giving him a used car. With a car, Oshoosi sees nothing but bright days ahead. He imagines himself driving long distances, picking up girls and having adventures. Ogun isn’t so sure, but he checks out the car’s motor and assures Oshoosi that the car is fine to drive. All three actors have exceptional moments throughout the play, as director Marti Gobel brings out the best in each character. Although the audience may have no idea of the Yoruba traditions that spawned the plot, they can relate to the isolation felt by adults who have only memories of their parents, as well as the many other elements and complications that emerge.
When the police start looking for Oshoosi, Ogun sadly refuses to harbor a fugitive at the expense of his business. Elegba, the best friend who has gotten Oshoosi into trouble with the law, is nowhere to be found, leaving Oshoosi puzzled and despairing. The Brothers Size proves to be an excellent addition to Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s current season. It brings inner-city issues to the forefront, and demonstrates how the lack of family, money and opportunity can shape a community and its residents.
