 "Photo: Steppenwolf Theatre")
Before beginning my review, I shall briefly describe the lobby at the Steppenwolf Theatre where last Saturday I saw The Brother/Sister Plays:
It smells like cologne. Most people are drinking cocktails (except me, who was bullied by the café prices into drinking PBR). There is a lady standing near me wearing too much mascara and a self-important smirk. She repeatedly trumpets out the fact that she knows the director by name. Someone should tell the man holding a glass of wine and a Blackberry that mentioning three times in 10 minutes how you drove all the way to New York City just to see a critically lauded theatrical production makes you look like an ass. Several ladies are wearing diamond earrings. The entire atmosphere is one of wealth and prestige.
Okay, I might be exaggerating a little. There were several other college students present, and I’m sure most of the people there were actually quite nice. But too often it seems that “ordinary” people believe that theater, particularly new theater, belongs only to elite intellectuals like these lobby denizens. My point is that great theater is for everyone. If you take my advice and go see the Steppenwolf’s production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays, you will see what I mean.
This is a brilliant production. It is intelligent, fast-paced, thoughtful and (most importantly) entertaining. Yes, great theater can be entertaining even as it forces you to think. McCraney, who rose from poverty to become one of the most talked about new playwrights in both the U.S. and Britain, combines African mythology and Ebonic speech patterns with echoes of Shakespearean drama. The result is poetry framed as normal conversational speech — good poetry, the type that makes you wish you were witty enough to speak like these characters.
The Brother/Sister Plays (which is actually a set of three different plays) tells a story about African-American life in the projects of San Pere, L.A. The first production, In the Red and Brown Water, is about the trials and tribulations of Oya (Alana Arenas), whose athletic ability may earn her a college scholarship. The second and third, The Brothers Size and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet, concern the fate of Ogun and Oshoosi Size, two brothers who were orphaned at an early age. The three plays can be seen in any order, but they contain the same group of characters (with additions as the children grow into adulthood).
Director Tina Landau’s production moves at an exhilarating pace. Even at its most traumatic moments, the play never stops moving. The helter-skelter velocity actually could stand to slow down a little at times, if only to allow us to appreciate significant moments in the characters’ lives.
As for the acting, it is difficult to pick any standouts, not because no single actor stands out, but because they all form a seamless team. I did especially enjoy Glenn Davis, whose character Elegba is too charming for his own good. Out of the ensemble, nine actors (three in The Brothers Size) play several roles each. However, it’s easy to keep track of who is who: One of the quirks in McCraney’s script is that the actors read their stage directions along with the dialogue. It sounds silly, but it’s amusing when you see it done. Oh, and there are great musical numbers.
Even if you’re not a “theater person,” you should go see The Brother/Sister Plays at the Steppenwolf. Half-price tickets are available an hour before the show. Even better, if you have a student ID you can get $15 tickets online in advance by using the code BROSIS15. Then you can impress all your friends with the fact that you spent an evening seeing great theater — and enjoyed it.
The Brother/Sister Plays are playing at the Steppenwolf Theatre now until May 23.
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