American playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney, was born in Liberty City, Florida on October 17, 1980. He attended the New World School of the Arts (NWSA) in Miami, Florida. While attending NWSA, he was awarded an honorable mention by the National Young Arts Foundation in 1999. As a teenager, he was a member of an improv troupe directed by Teo Castellanos. He continued his education at The Theatre School at DePaul University and received his BFA in acting. In May 2007 he graduated from Yale School of Drama’s playwriting program, receiving the Cole Porter Playwriting Award upon graduation. In addition, he also is an Honorary Warwick University Graduate. McCraney previously served at the Chair of Playwriting at Yale School of Drama and is currently an ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He also serves as the Artistic Director at the Geffen Playhouse.
While at Yale, McCraney wrote the Brother/Sister trilogy of plays, which are set in the Louisiana projects and explore Yoruba mythology. The triptych of plays includes In the Red and Brown Water, The Brothers Size, and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet. While they are often staged with In the Red and Brown Water on one night and The Brothers Size and Marcus presented together on another, the works are not meant to follow a strict chronological sequence. Instead, they exist in dialogue with one another—each offering a unique perspective within a shared world.
There are so many folks who sit in our audiences across races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses who can talk about the prison system, the ways we need to reform it, and how it impacts families. That was the genesis of the play (The Brothers Size) and its importance now.
He wrote The Brothers Size to explore personal and societal experiences with incarceration, his own brother was incarcerated. His inspiration also comes from Yoruba traditions and a poem about Oun, who creates tools to find his missing brother. The play delves into themes of brotherhood, family, grief, and resilience, attempting to dramatize the unique pain of families affected by mass incarceration and acknowledge the indelible mark prison can leave.
See The Brothers Size October 9 – 14 at CCBC Essex, Arts & Humanities Hall, Studio Theatre.
Performance Dates: O̶c̶t̶o̶b̶e̶r̶ ̶9̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶2̶:̶2̶0̶ ̶p̶.̶m̶.̶ SOLD OUT, October 10, 11, 13 at 7 p.m., October 12 at 3 p.m. ASL Interpreted, October 14 at 11:10 a.m.
General admission $10, Seniors, Students, CCBC Faculty/Staff/Alumni $5, FREE for CCBC Students with current ID
Purchase tickets online at www.ccbctickets or call the Box Office at 443-840-ARTS.
CONTENT WARNING: This play contains descriptions and depictions of violence, sexual situations and racism.