THE BROTHERS SIZE to Open at African-American Shakespeare Company
Directed by James Mercer II, the Moonlight playwright's play explores brotherhood and life post-incarceration at Theater 33.
The African-American Shakespeare Company will present The Brothers Size (Finally). The play written by Academy Award-winning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight) has been on Executive Director Sherri Young's short list of plays she wanted the company to produce for some time and it was originally going to be produced by the company in early spring of 2026. Described as a modern-day fable about the bonds of brotherhood and life after incarceration, this production directed by James Mercer II mines the rich language, poetry and humor of the play in its first San Francisco production since 2010.
The Brother's Size opens October 9 through November 1 (Previews October 6,7 &8) at Theater 33 located at 533 Sutter Street in San Francisco.
San Francisco, September 10, 2026 – The African-American Shakespeare Company Presents The Brothers Size. The play which hasn't been produced in San Francisco since 2010 tells the story of two brothers—one a hard working auto mechanic, the other looking to find his footing post incarceration—and the obligations and bonds they share that are put to the test.
Written by the Academy-award winning writer of the film Moonlight, the play celebrated its 20th anniversary with a New York production in 2025. “The Brothers Size was recommended because of the cast and the connection to folklore storytelling,” says AASC Executive Director Sherri Young. “I read the play and instantly loved the writing. Tarell takes this Yoruba folklore and brings life to it through contemporary connections of brotherhood, family, and the trickster that seems to come between the two."
“The Brothers Size explores the different forms of prisons we carry,” says Mercer. “While Ogun is caught in a prison of obligation—shouldering the responsibility of being his baby brother Oshoosi's keeper—Oshoosi is a dreamer who has been both literally and mentally imprisoned by systemic forces and trauma. Elegba is the outsider who inserts himself into Oshoosi's life as another kind of “brother,” one who is a chaotic disrupter and opener of pathways who is caught in the prison of the past, relying on the comforts of yesterday as he searches for tomorrow. Ultimately, I hope audiences see three men trying to survive, repair what they can, and make it to the next moment by making the most from the tools at their disposal.”
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