The Brothers Size Revival
Closing: September 28, 2025The Brothers Size - 2025 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
The Shed
West 30th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues New York, NY
The Shed presents a powerful new staging of Academy Award-winning writer of Moonlight Tarell Alvin McCraney’s acclaimed play, The Brothers Size. This co-production with Los Angeles’s Geffen Playhouse marks the 20th anniversary of this groundbreaking work, which explores themes of brotherhood, resilience, and the complexities of the Black male experience. Directed by Bijan Sheibani and presented in the round in The Griffin Theater, this play invites audiences to witness the raw and intimate story of two brothers navigating life after incarceration, weaving into the storytelling the rich tradition of the Yoruba people of West Africa. The Brothers Size is a modern-day fable about two brothers in the Deep South. Ogun, the elder brother, embodies hard work and reliability, while Oshoosi, formerly incarcerated, is seemingly carefree and unpredictable. Their relationship is tested when the charismatic Elegba arrives, tempting Oshoosi back to his old habits. As the brothers wrestle with loyalty, freedom, and duty, their humanity is revealed through a raw and heartfelt exploration of the bonds of brotherhood.
The Brothers Size - 2025 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR The Brothers Size
The Return of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Masterpiece, “The Brothers Size”
9 / 10
Twenty years have done something wonderful to McCraney’s play. It now feels more like an assured masterpiece than the first work of a prodigy; here, polished to a deep lustre, is the finest exertion of McCraney’s talents, elevated by a cast with staggering gifts. Holland’s self-effacing tiredness as Ogun is deliberately unshowy, and, while the actor’s name appears above the title in the program, he cedes the limelight to both Mays, who gives the graceful, flirtatious performance of a lifetime, and to iLongwe, who grows more radiant and funny as Oshoosi’s frustration with his brother sharpens. A certain inelegant hastiness in the plot has been resolved by treating the monologues almost as arias, giving them each an equal sense of grandeur, like the relentless finale of a fireworks display.
The Tortured but Unbreakable Bond Between the Siblings in ‘The Brothers Size’ Speaks to the Challenges of Kinship and Love
9 / 10
The exchanges that follow segue from effusive, bittersweet humor to shattering sadness, with Messrs. Holland and iLongwe — the latter is equally potent and can be especially funny, when he’s not breaking your heart — evince the mix of responsibility, guilt, and, above all, love that makes Ogun’s relationship to his brother so tender and tragic.
Category
The Brothers Size History
Other Productions of The Brothers Size
| 2007 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
The Brothers Size - 2025 Off-Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bijan Sheibani |
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Music in a Play | Stan Mathabane (composer) and Munir Zakee (musician) |
| 2026 | Drama League Awards | OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY | The Brothers Size |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Tarell Alvin McCraney |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Bijan Shibani |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | Malcolm Mays |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | André Holland |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | Alani iLongwe |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Brothers Size |
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