The Brothers Size
Tarell Alvin McCraney
 |
| Julian Green, Gabriel Christian & LaKeidrick S. Wimberly |
With a tribal air of a long-ago continent or of fields in
the another century’s cotton-filled South, three young, black men dance in a
trance-like state and sing with moaning tone and hum, “The road is rough ...
hmmm, haaaah ... Lord God, it’s rough and hard.”
And so begins in an imaginary dream state Tarell Alvin
McCraney’s intense, moving The Brothers
Size, a play about the
relationships of two sets of brothers -- one defined by blood and one by
unspoken love. Theatre Rhinoceros
revives for San Francisco this play first introduced in 2010 at the Magic
Theatre as the second part of a Bay Area shared production of the playwright’s The Brother/Sister Trilogy. Its haunting mixture of music and movement
combines with scenes of high emotional exploration of the boundaries to which
love can be pushed and still survive. With
a cast of three, highly talented actors who stretch their own limits of expression,
verbally and non-verbally, Theatre Rhinoceros presents The Brothers Size.
 |
| LaKeidrick S. Wimberly & Gabriel Christan |
The plot of the 100-minute-long The Brothers Size is quite straightforward and somewhat predictable
in its basic storyline. A prodigal son
-- in this case brother -- returns home to his hard-working brother after a
stint in the state penitentiary. The
garage-owing, older brother is very worried that the younger, fun-loving
sibling will once again get into trouble and is thus perhaps overly protective
and harsh with him. Especially
troublesome for the older Size is the new, best bro that the younger Size
brother met and shared space with in the pen – a jiving guy who seems to have
too much sway and influence on the emotions, plans, and desires of his still
unemployed brother. The relationships
among the three bump along a hard and swerving road with acute moments of
dreamed and real-life contact and confrontation, intimacy and struggle that play
out among the various twosomes. On a
dark, country road after a night of movies, clubbing, and joy-riding, a
relationship built on un-vocalized, not-totally-understood love comes to a
climax just as a cop’s blinking light pulls up along side. Betrayal, sacrifice, and tough love decisions
follow in a sequence of heart-breaking scenes as the truth and nature is
revealed of the relationships thus far explored.
The names of the three actors draw on the traditions and
deities of the West African Yoruban tribes.
The older Size brother and brawny auto-mechanic is Ogun, the name of the
Yoruban god of iron and known as a warrior who oversees deals and
contracts. LaKeidrick S. Wimberly is a
giant of a muscled man, reserved and nonchalant when absorbed in his work but
massively angry and explosive when overtaken by his exasperation and worry with
his brother. In one such moment late in
the play, he rises over his smaller, younger brother with big hands
outstretched in vexation as he preaches at the cowering brother his rants, his
warnings, and his deep-rooted concerns in rhythmic waves as if from a
pulpit. But after such moments, he also
tends to soften, reveal a slight smile and caring eyes, and open up to reveal a
heart full of forgiveness and love.
Gabreil Christian is Oshoosi Size, named by the playwright
for a divine, cunning hunter associated with the human struggle for
survival. His Oshoosi brings a smile
draped in big dimples to many of his interactions, ribbings, pleas, and dreaming. He flops on the bed to hide from possible
employment, jumps high in the air with an idea for fun, and hugs with boylike
admiration his startled brother. But
when he hurts or is hurt, his Oshoosi suddenly shows another sullen, sad side
of not-so-happy-go-lucky. And put in
close proximity to the friend met in prison, a deep well of emotions and
desires often emerge that seem to trouble as well as mysteriously arouse him.
 |
| LaKeidrick S. Wimberly, Gabriel Christian & Julian Green |
That friend is Elegba, a Puck-like character who seems
suddenly to appear from nowhere to tempt Oshoosi, to irritate Ogun, and to fill
the scene with his energy and excitement for a life with few restraints. Named by the playwright for the guardian of
life’s crossroads but a god also known for his trickery and chaos, Elegba fully
lives up to his African name as he opens up avenues for Oshoosi’s wavering from
the straight and narrow path that Ogun desires him to tread. The gift of a car or the lingering touch of
their passing, bare-chested bodies each brings Oshoosi another big step away
from Ogun’s control and influence.
Julian Green glides and slithers with both zeal and stealth in and out
of the life of Oshoosi, bringing a passion for his friend that seems genuine
... until it does not.
Powerful in this production is the use of dance and movement
as choreographed by Laura Elaine Ellis (with additional choreography by Daryl V. Jones).
Various inserted sequences recall a proud and noble history of native
Africa, a rich history of hip hop and jazz, and a shameful history of injustice
to the black man in slave fields and prison chain gangs.
So much works in the portrayals these three actors of their
characters, but unfortunately there are several flaws of the production that
diminish some of the final power of performance. Margaret Adair MacCormack’s set combined with
Wesley Rou’s lighting is big in scope with its large sky backdrop; its tall,
skeletal, partial doorway that has the hint of a gallows, and its scattered
metal, tire, and trappings of a garage.
That set and the changing lighting scheme at times distracts from the
powerful dialogue occurring within it, making me wish for something much more
barren and simple.
Distracting too is in the way Darryl V. Jones directs the
delivery of the playwright’s parenthetical script notes that the actors emote
-- the kind of lines that one reads in a story announcing a quote, a mood, or a
movement. These too often interrupt the
mood of the moment in the way they are delivered with too much emphasis and/or
humor.
Finally, this is a play where music plays a big part of the
message delivery; and Oshoosi himself is touted as a gifted singer. Unfortunately, the sung portions of this
production often do not match in quality the rest of the actors’ excellent
performances.
But when it comes to the story’s climax and its preceding
threads of relationship exploration and boundary testing by these three men, Theatre
Rhinoceros in the end has delivered a moving, thought-provoking rendition of The Brothers Size. Especially for anyone who has missed earlier
Bay Area productions, The Rhino’s interpretation is one that is well-worth a
visit to the Eureka Theatre.
Rating: 3 E
The Brothers Size runs
through October 15, 2016 at at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, San
Francisco. Tickets are available at www.therhino.org or by calling
1-800-838-3006.
Photos by Stephen Ho
No comments:
Post a Comment