Stage: The Family of Men

Map It:  U Street-Cardozo 

RHYTHMICALLY ACTED and propelled by a live percussionist, Studio Theatre's production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's "The Brothers Size" almost breathes on its own.

Director Tea Alagic captures the taut emotions of two African-American brothers in a Louisiana bayou town, bound together by blood but separated by everything else.

Elder brother Ogun Size (Gilbert Owuor) wakes up early, runs an auto repair shop and lectures his brother about getting job. Younger brother Oshoosi Size (Brian Tyree Henry) sleeps late, is fresh out of prison and constantly hounds Ogun for access to a car.

Complicating matters for Oshoosi is Elegba (Elliot Villar), his former cellmate. The id to Ogun's ego, Elegba tempts Oshoosi to returning to his checkered past. The heart of the play's drama lies with Oshoosi and his struggle to give into his restlessness or lead a quiet, responsible life with Ogun.

Percussionist Shaun Kelly adds a distinctive flavor to the play's tone. He ups the intensity with his tribal-sounding drums, and also enhances the action of the play with sound effects -- the ding of a triangle accompanies an mischievous smile; the tap of a cymbal signifies the flicking of ash from a cigarette. The highlights of the production occur when the actors and the percussionists synergize their performances.

A song and dance routine to "Try a Little Tenderness" toward the end of the production is worth the price of admission alone.

The production's minimal staging and wardrobe add to the spare tension. The three-man cast performs shirtless on a set that is barren aside from a pile of rocks surrounded by a circle of sand.

» Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW; through Feb. 10, $34-$49; 202-332-3300, studiotheatre.org. (U St.-Cardozo)

Written by Express contributor Dan Miller
Photo by Michal Daniel