If you’ve seen the beautiful, heart-wrenching film that is, Moonlight, then you’re already aware of this man’s brilliance. Barry Jenkins wrote and directed the film Moonlight, but it was adapted from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue’. Today BRTW honors Tarell Alvin McCraney.
According to Wikipedia, Tarell Alvin McCraney was born October 17, 1980 in Miami, Florida. McCraney grew up in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Miami. His mother, who struggled with substance abuse, unfortunately passed away when he was 22. And many of the themes explored in the movie “Moonlight”, touch upon aspects on his own personal life. Including his relationship with his mother, and the drug dealer who later becomes a father figure, as well as the boy with whom he first became intimate. Other details about his personal life don’t seem to exist in the ether as of now. Mostly because McCraney is quite the private, shy, intimate fellow. His experiences seem to be spoken more through his art than through his own mouth. However, those experiences are quite visceral and palpable, and are exactly the things that drew me to him.
I can’t remember exactly who it was that first told me to read McCraney’s work. Although, I am immensely glad they did. I became familiar with McCraney after reading the Brother/Sister Plays. I was blown away with the beauty and elegance with which he captured pain, and more specifically Black pain. As an actor I was instantly drawn to his writing, even if some of his characters didn’t share my sexuality I still saw the merit in providing voices for the oppressed. It is also worth mentioning that his work opens a door to marginalized communities. And moreover, it opens a door to further marginalized groups existing within an already marginalized and oppressed demographic; ie gay black men and women in the black community. And in an era where representation matters so much, it is vastly important to have these folks depicted accurately and soulfully. If you have not read any of his work then I would most definitely recommend it.
Tarell is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama’s Playwriting Program, as well as a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Award. He also now serves as chair of the Yale School Of Drama’s Playwriting Department.
Here’s a passage from one of my favorite scenes in the Brother/Sister plays. The play is Marcus and the Secret of Sweet:
Trust. I know. Ain’t no answers out here.
Not to me particular
Just sky and dust but ain’t we all?
Don’t you wish it was?
Don’t you wish the days. All damn day running into everything that scares the…
Outta you would just wash out into the waters, drain away.
That the disappointed you strange-boy stares would light up and leave, like, not
Look down on you wondering, “What you doing? What you thinking? What you dreaming?” Specially when on’t know yo ownself. Looking at you like you a problem. Staring at you like, “Where’s your shame?” Right when everything seems simple. I might be.. Or at least it might be alright to be..Here come some secret. Some dream.
And you just smile and smile. You know that feeling? To just smile and smile and smile and smile and smile and smile.. When you want to just get up on tabletops and scream you wanna say, say..huh huh.
It’s nice out here, you think? The Bayou. Maybe it’s magic out here. I always thought so…Magic
“Secret of Sight.” More like
The… More like the secret of sweet. The secret is ain’t nobody
Think it’s a secret cept me, cept those who don’t want to see. And those who do keep talking about me saying things to me
Man even my own dreams won’t let me.. These the times you wish for a daddy. Maybe not
Maybe he wouldn’t be proud of
Me.. But at least you can scream at somebody. You can stand up
To em and tell him how it hurt you to be…say, “I ain’t put this black skin on me I didn’t press these… boy-boy thoughts in my head. You think I set out to be dreaming o’ dis
Man
Old
Enough
To be my… you. Talking to me slowly in the rain, crying laughing, singing sometimes all in the rain.
I didn’t make him up. I didn’t conjure him to me. All I am is here. Heard. So.. So you don’t get to understand me cause I don’t.
I don’t hardly either. Just…just love me.”
Tarell Alvin McCraney folx. Love him, learn him. BRTW salutes you!
-Jovan Davis
Producing/Ensemble