(Phillip plays Oshoosi Size, Egungun and Terrell in The Brother/Sister Plays)
A few nights ago when I got to the theatre, for the first performance of the week of The Brothers Size and Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet, I was signing in at the callboard, and saw there was a notice posted, saying:
“Happy #100!!!
Yes, it’s true -
Our 100th Performance”
(Joy is the Literary Manager at Steppenwolf)
Hello blog readers!
Many of you may have heard the exciting news we announced last week: Tarell Alvin McCraney, the extraordinarily gifted actor and playwright who wrote The Brother/Sister Plays, has joined the Steppenwolf ensemble. Those of you who have seen The Brother/Sister Plays, or saw Tarell act on stage in our production of Theatrical Essays a few years back, already understand why this news is so exciting (for those of you who haven’t gotten to see Tarell’s extraordinary plays: hurry! They close in just a few weeks, and, biased though I am, you’ve got to believe me that these plays are not to be missed). But I thought you all might appreciate the opportunity to get to know the newest member of the Steppenwolf family a little better. So I’ve pulled some links to articles, videos, and interviews that will give you a fuller picture of Tarell, his approach to his work, his theatrical aesthetic, and the many reasons we’re so proud to include him in our ensemble.
(Daria is the former Literary Apprentice at Steppenwolf and the post-show moderator for The Brother/Sister Plays)
Steppenwolf’s patrons will often ask me after a post show discussion, “How often do you do these?” The answer is “every show.” Yes, with a few small exceptions, you can find myself or another member of the post-show gang sitting down to a lively discussion with our audiences just about every night of the week. Topics of conversation in The Brother/Sister Plays post-shows often center around playwright Tarrell McCraney’s writing, specifically the unique ways in which his characters open up and communicate with the audience. Most nights patrons are leaning forward in their seats, hands energetically raised to talk about how these plays reached out and grabbed them, connected them with the action unfolding, invited them into the ebb and flow of McCraney’s ephemeral Louisiana community, San Pere.
In a few days, Steppenwolf for Young Adults will be hosting The Brother/Sister Plays Afterparty… I am super excited! Who am I? Julia Celentano, one of 19 lucky members of Steppenwolf’s Young Adults Council. The council is made up of high school students who want to learn more about the inner workings of a professional theatre. We see plays, read plays, organize events around plays, and (my favorite) meet with professionals in the business. Because of this connection to the theatre, we have seen The Brother/Sister Plays evolve from a series of amazing scripts into the brilliant shows they are today. If that doesn’t tempt you to join the council, then check this out: one of the first people with whom we met this year was none other than Mr. Brother/Sister Plays himself, playwright Tarell McCraney.
(Claire Peters is the Marketing Apprentice at Steppenwolf)
The past few months, I’ve been coordinating The Brother/Sister Plays Marathon Sundays. The idea was to create a collective experience similar to that of Angels in America, where the audience would spend an extended period of time together, and the shared occasion would inspire discourse amongst themselves between shows. The Marathon Sundays prix-fixe dinners (and subsequent conversations and communities that emerge) happen at Landmark Grill + Lounge every week between matinee and evening performances, and on five select dates, we have special events where we add to the ideas and themes in the trilogy.