The Brothers Size

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Liz Lauren

Derrick Moore and Rasell Holt (from left) in "The Brothers Size" at American Players Theatre.

Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney took inspiration for The Brothers Size from a two-line Yoruba poem about a missing brother. The result, as staged by American Players Theatre under the direction of Gavin Lawrence, uses poetry, music and movement to explore imprisonment, poverty, centuries of conflict and oppression, family relationships, and the lengths to which a sibling will go to find and protect his brother. Performances in repertory continue through Oct. 8 (this week: 2 p.m., Aug. 26; 6 p.m., Aug. 28); read Gwendolyn Rice's review here.

media release: By Tarell Alvin McCraney; directed by Gavin Lawrence. In the Touchstone, 6/28-10/8.

In the Louisiana bayou, Ogun Size is the hardworking and steady brother to the younger Oshoosi. Ogun worries constantly about his brother, who's fresh out of jail, and when Elegba, Oshoosi's former prison-mate, arrives with a gift, the brothers’ relationship is thrown out of balance. Influenced by the rich culture of the Yoruba people of West Africa, this contemporary tale begins in ritual and evolves into a tough and tender drama of what it means to brother and be brothered. Combining flights of poetry, music and dance, The Brothers Size explores the tenuousness of freedom and the need to belong.