Photo Flash: First Look at Syracuse Stage's THE BROTHERS SIZE thru 5/12

Performances of The Brothers Size began April 18 and will continue through May 12 in the Storch Theatre at Syracuse Stage, 820 East Genesee Street. Tickets range $18-$50 and are available at the Syracuse Stage Box Office, 315-443-3275 or www.SyracuseStage.org. Family Guide: The Brothers Size contains strong adult language, discussions of sexuality, and sexual gestures. Recommended for high school and up.

Check out photos from the production below!

Tarell Alvin McCraney is an exciting new voice in American Theatre and his award-winning The Brothers Size proves why. In the Louisiana bayou, big brother Ogun Size is hardworking and steady. Younger brother Oshoosi is just out of prison and aimless. Elegba, Oshoosi's old prison mate, is a mysterious complication. A simple circle defines a world that begins in ritual and evolves into a tough and tender drama of what it means to brother and be brothered. Flights of poetry, music, dance and West African mythology combine in a contemporary tale that explores the tenuousness of freedom and the need to belong somewhere, to something, to someone.

"The Brothers Size is a play that's very much about sibling love," said Timothy Bond, Director and Producing Artistic Director of Syracuse Stage. "The younger brother has to find his way. What must the older brother do to empower him so that he can move forward in his life? Does that mean letting go? This kind of family relationship and conflict cuts across cultures. It's universal."

To emphasize the universal aspect of his contemporary story, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney infuses elements that reflect the Yoruba culture of West Africa. A drumbeat initiates action and helps propel the story forward, physical movement accents and explores emotional connections, and the three characters are named after orishas, or Yoruba divinities.

Ogun Size, played by Joshua Elijah Reese, is the older brother Size named after the spirit of iron and labor. Oshoosi Size, played by Rodrick Covington, is the younger brother Size named after the spirit of the forest and a wanderer. Elegba, played by Sam Encarnación, is a friend of the brothers named after the spirit of chaos and the god of the crossroads, a go-between between this world and the world beyond.

In a further exploration of language and communication, the ritual of theatre itself is invoked as McCraney has the actors speak and act out the stage directions. The effect, according to Timothy Bond, is to bring the audience closer to the performers and make them more active participants.

Having mentored with August Wilson at Yale, McCraney's unique voice has been described as poetic, profane, soulful, right, fresh, and mind-blowing. He is best known for his acclaimed trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays, which includes The Brothers Size, In the Red and Brown Water, and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet. From 2008 to 2010 he was the International Playwright in Residence at London's Royal Shakespeare Company. He received the inaugural New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, as well as the inaugural Paula Vogel Playwriting Award. Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where he is an ensemble member, will produce the world premiere of his commissioned play, Head of Passes, in the spring of 2013.

Following its run at Syracuse Stage, The Brothers Size will move to leading theatres in South Africa, made possible by support from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. Performances will run May 18 - June 9 at the Baxter Theatre Centre in Cape Town, and June 15 - July 1 at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg. In addition to the performances in Johannesburg and Cape Town, the actors, Timothy Bond and Jeffrey Woodward will participate in a number of cultural exchange sessions with South African audiences, artists and arts administrators. Follow the transfer from Syracuse to South Africa on the actors' blog, www.SyracusetoSouthAfrica.org.

Syracuse Stage is Central New York's premier professional theatre. Founded in 1974, Stage has produced more than 235 plays in 38 seasons including a number of world, American, and East Coast premieres. Each season 90,000 patrons enjoy an adventurous mix of new plays and bold interpretations of classics and musicals featuring the finest theatre artists. In addition, Stage maintains a vital educational outreach program that annually serves over 30,000 students from 24 counties. A solid core of subscribers and supporters helps keep Syracuse Stage a vibrant artistic presence in Central New York. Additional support comes from the government, foundations, corporations and Syracuse University. Syracuse Stage is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Arts and Cultural Leadership Alliance (ACLA), the University Hill Corporation and the East Genesee Regent Association. Syracuse Stage is a member of The League of Resident Theatres (LORT), the largest professional theatre association in the country.

See photos from The Brothers Size at Syracuse Stage below!

Photo credit: T. Charles Erickson