A riveting and emotionally resonant drama set in the bayou country of Louisiana about two brothers whose hopes and dreams are inextricably intertwined.

The Brothers Size is the second play in Tarell Alvin McCraneys acclaimed trilogy The Brother/Sister Plays.

Previews September 7; Opening September 8;

Playing through September 29, 2012

in the Dowling Studio at the Guthrie

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) The Guthrie Theater today announced casting for the Pillsbury House Theatre and The Mount Curve Company co-production of The Brothers Size an exuberantly theatrical drama from one of the countrys most exciting new voices that weaves together brothers, the bayou, and African mythology to create a stylized story of love and heartache. Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Marion McClinton, The Brothers Size will be performed in the Guthries Dowling Studio from September 729, 2012.

The Brothers Size is part of McCraneys critically acclaimed trilogy, The Brother/Sister Plays. The play premieres on the heels of last years lauded production of, In the Red and Brown Water, which was also directed by McClinton at the Guthrie. In the Red and Brown Water was named Best Play of 2011 by both the Star Tribune and City Pages.

For The Brothers Size, James A. Williams and Gavin Lawrence reprise their roles from In the Red and Brown Water. Williams plays Ogun Size, a hard-working mechanic, and Lawrence plays the mysterious Elegba. Williams was last seen on the Guthrie stage in The Darker Face of the Earth and Many Colors Make the Thunder-King. Lawrence was most recently seen at the Guthrie as Langston Hughes in The Carlyle Brown & Company production of Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...

Rounding out the cast is University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program graduate Namir Smallwood as Oshoosi Sizea young man who comes home from prison, hoping to resume his happily aimless life. Smallwood was most recently seen in the Pillsbury House Theatre production of Tracey Scott Wilsons Buzzera role that he will reprise at the Guthrie in February. Ahanti Young, a regular on the Penumbra stage, will provide percussion during the performance.

Set in contemporary small-town rural Louisiana and infused with Yoruba mythology, The Brothers Size is a timeless story about two brothers whose hopes and dreams are pinned on the other. The Brothers Size dramatizes the ties that bind all of us together and the urges of the human heart that can rip everything apart.

The artistic team includes Andrea Heilman (Set Designer), Kalere A. Payton (Costume Designer), Michael Wangen (Lighting Designer), Katherine Horowitz (Sound Designer), Elizabeth MacNally (Stage Manager), and E.G. Bailey (Assistant Director).

The Brothers Size previews September 7, opens September 8 and continues through September 29, 2012, in the Dowling Studio. Single tickets start at $18 and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

PILLSBURY HOUSE THEATREs mission is to create challenging theater to inspire choice, change and connection. Now in its 20th year, Pillsbury House Theatre is proud to be a professional theater unlike any other. In partnership with Pillsbury United Communities, one of the largest human services organizations in Minnesota, and housed within the Pillsbury House Neighborhood Center, serving a diverse socio-economic population, Pillsbury House Theatre demonstrates that the highest quality art is an integral part of all healthy communities. www.pillsburyhousetheatre.org

THE MOUNT CURVE COMPANY was formed by Frances Wilkinson, a Minneapolis-based philanthropist, film and theater producer. Ms. Wilkinson has supported or invested in theatrical work including The Kushner Celebration, Edgardo Mine, God of Carnage (Guthrie Theater), In Darfur, Why Torture is Wrong (The Public Theater), Passing Strange (Broadway), Five Fingers of Funk (Childrens Theatre Company), Detroit (Steppenwolf Theatre Company). In addition, Ms. Wilkinson was executive producer of the film With or Without You and has supported the TPT documentary Slavery By Another Name, airing on HBO in 2012. Ms. Wilkinson has served on the Boards of Directors of the Guthrie Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune and IFP.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies. www.guthrietheater.org

For more information contact:

Seena Hodges 612.225.6142 seenah@guthrietheater.org

Quinton Skinner 612.225.6140

quintons@guthrietheater.org

Alan Berks

612.787.3622

berksa@pillsburyhousetheatre.org

Frances Wilkinson

612.940.4989

frwilkinson@gmail.com

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