Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – A searing André Holland headlines a breathtaking revival of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s THE BROTHERS SIZE

• By drediman
• September 11, 2025
• No Comments

Last night, the anticipated revival of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size opened Off-Broadway In Hudson Yards at The Shed’s Griffin Theater. A co-presentation with Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles — where the revival was previously staged with a slightly different cast — the production commemorates the twentieth anniversary of McCraney’s play, which many would consider one the playwright’s finest works despite being written relatively early on in his career (McCraney would later win an Academy Award for his intrinsic role in creating the film Moonlight). Set in the South, the work portrays the tight bond between two Black brothers — Ogun and Oshoosi Size — specifically during the time when they’ve been reunited upon the latter’s release from incarceration. Thematically, as an examination of masculinity, the play is astonishingly observant and sympathetic.

This anniversary production has been co-directed by Bijan Sheibani and the playwright himself, who have ritualistically staged the play in-the-round to maximize both its intimacy and intrinsic mythic qualities. Live musical accompaniment plays a key role in the staging (which is exquisitely provided by percussionist Munir Zakee, who performs in full view on the fringes of the playing area), as does highly choreographed physicality, both of which heighten the work’s drama and emotion in a viscerally theatrical manner. Overall, the staging is focused and starkly poetic, which suits the writing just perfectly. Indeed, one of the key distinguishing traits of the piece is that the actors speak their stage directions, which all but eliminates the need for physical sets and props. The Brothers Size is one installment in McCraney’s larger The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy (the other two plays being  In The Red and Brown Water and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet). Given the success of this breathtaking revival, it seems the right time to start making concrete plans to bring back the other two works in major New York productions.

As for the performances, I don’t think they could be bettered. Although film actor André Holland (who was so memorable in Moonlight) headlines the production from a marketing perspective, the play is actually comprised of three roles of approximately equal size, each having a considerable hand in the general storytelling. As Ogun, Holland gives a searing account of a man who has been beaten into submission by a system that’s been rigged against him. As his brother Oshoosi, Alani iLongwe is irrepressible and sublimely winning as the defiantly carefree brother. As Oshoosi’s close friend Elegba, Malcolm Mays — with his bewitching smile — nearly steals the show with a boisterous yet ultimately heartbreaking performance. Together, they create a raw, very human tapestry of Black masculinity that urgently explodes from the stage with passion, pain, and most importantly, joy.

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THE BROTHERS SIZE
Off-Broadway, Play
The Shed
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through September 28