A Synopsis of The Brothers Size
Contains spoilers!
Ogun Size is living with his younger brother, Oshoosi Size, who is recently out of prison. Oshoosi is always oversleeping and needs to find a job per his parole agreement. Ogun, who owns an auto-mechanic shop, offers to hire Oshoosi. Oshoosi accepts because he needs the job, but is annoyed at his older brother for always being so hard on him.
At the auto shop, Oshoosi is visited by Elegba. The two met while they were in pruison and became "like brothers." Ogun expresses that he doesn't trust Elegba. In private, Elegba encourages Oshoosi to ask his brother for a car.
Later, at the dinner table, Oshoosi asks his brother for a car. Ogun refuses and reminds Oshoosi he is still on probation. Oshoosi is extremely upset and accuses his brother of always reminding him that he went to jail. Oshoosi tells Ogun that he doesn't want to be treated "like he's locked up no mo'."
That night, Oshoosi dreams of Elegba singing and comforting him. In the dream Elegba asks Oshoosi "can you walk with me?" Oshoosi wakes from the dream realizing he is very late for work.
Oshoosi arrives to work late, upset at his brother for not waking him. Elegba enters sweating and out of breath after pushing a car he found at his cousin's dump all the way to the shop. When asked why he didn't drive the car instead, Elegba explains that the other day, a police officer ran into him and harassed him for loitering. Because his license is suspended, Elegba decided to play it safe and not drive the car. Instead he gives the car to Oshoosi as a gift, hoping Ogun can fix it up and make it run.
Ogun dream about his brother and Elegba together. In the dream Oshoosi and Elegba can't seem to break free from one another. The dream ends with Elegba dragging Oshoosi away with him. Ogun wakes from his dream drenched in sweat and shouting his brother's name.
The next day at work, Oshoosi is thinking about his future. He tells Ogun that he wants a job that he's passionate about, and is considering going back to school. He shares that he started thinking about school and traveling the world while he was in prison and saw a picture of a man from Madagascar who looked just like him. Elegba interrupts the scene and Oshoosi and Elegba leave to go to the outlet to party and try to pick up girls.
The next morning Elegba is outside Oshoosi's bedroom window trying to wake him, but wakes Ogun instead. Elegba tells Ogun a story about a night in prison that Oshoosi cried for his brother in the dark and the whole wing of the prison fell quiet because the sound was so heartbreaking. Before leaving, Elegba states that he could never replace Ogun as Oshoosi's brother and warns that the cops will be coming by "looking for a Size."
Ogun is upset with Oshoosi and feels that since their mother died, the community has been blaming him for his younger brother's mistakes. Ogun confronts Oshoosi who reveals that while he and Elegba were driving to the outlet, cops approached them and found a bag of cocaine in the trunk. Oshoosi ran away from the cops, leaving Elegba behind. Oshoosi shares that he doesn't6 know what to do now.
Later that night, the two brothers are reconnecting over shared memories. Ogun realizes that everyone gives his little brother a chance because he's so nice, and that he passes his niceness onto everybody he meets. They sing a song together but Oshoosi stops after seeing Elegba in the window. He heads to be, leaving Ogun alone.
The next morning, Ogun gives Oshoosi all his money and the keys to the truck so he can flee town and travel to Mexico. He wants to know his brother is out in the world and not in prison. Oshoosi takes the gifts and leaves his brother alone.
More about The Brothers Size:
Yoruba Cosmology Behind the Story
Yoruba is an ethnic group composed of over 40 million people who reside in present day Benin, Togo and Southwestern Nigeria, and share a common language and culture. The forced migration of Yoruba people to the Americas through the Transatlantic Slave Trade led to a blending of multipole religions and cultures. The Brothers Size draws on elements, icons and stories from the Yoruba cosmology, most notably through the names and traits of characters.
Ogun’s Brother is Missing: The Impact of Mass Incarceration
Mass incarceration affects millions of Americans and their families, and it's no secret that the majority of those incarcerated are Black and Brown and serve longer and harsher sentences than their white counterparts. This is particularly true in Louisiana, where The Brothers Size is set. Playwright Tarrell Alvin McCraney cites his own experience of having a brother who had experienced incarceration and the impact it had on their family.
The Brothers Size Reading List
Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of The Brothers Size.
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Pre-show Panel Discussion with Black Men's Wellness
Join us for a pre-show panel discussion as part of BIPOC Affinity Night for The Brothers Size, featuring Black Men’s Wellness.
Adult Class: Before & After - The Brothers Size
Join Literary Manager and Dramaturg Kamilah Bush for an opportunity to explore the work of playwright Tarrell Alvin McCraney and his relationship to the southern aesthetic, masculinity and African cosmology, and how these elements come alive in PCS production of The Brothers Size.
May First Thursday featuring Tahirah Memory
Join us for May First Thursday featuring live music by Portland-based soul singer and songwriter Tahirah Memory, playing a mix of original songs and covers in a fun combo of jazz and R&B styles.
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