Tarell Alvin McCraney

Tarell attended the New World School of the Arts, High School, (Miami, Fl) receiving the exemplary artist award and the Dean's Award in Theater. He matriculated into the Theater School at DePaul University and received his BFA in acting. As an actor Tarell has worked with directors such as Tina Landau of the Steppenwolf Theater Ensemble Chicago, IL, David Cromer and BJ Jones artistic director of the North Light Theater where he co-starred in the Chicago Premiere of Joe Penhall's Blue/Orange, and began a lasting working relationship with Peter Brook and Marie-Helene Etienne of the Bouffes du Nord, Paris. Tarell is a recent graduate of the Yale School of Drama's playwriting program (May 2007) headed by Richard Nelson where he received the Cole Porter Playwriting Award upon graduation. Tarell is a member of Teo Castellanos/ D Projects Theater Company in Miami.

Plays

* The Brother/Sister plays

** "The Brothers Size" started as a workshop at the Yale School of Drama. Appeared at the Under the Rader Festival at the Public Theater in New York produced by the Foundry Theater and in the IN-Festival at the McCarter Theater, Princeton, NJ 2007. The Brothers Size received its European premiere at the Young Vic in November 2007 to [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/11/15/btbrothers115.xml considerable acclaim] .

** "In The Red and Brown Water", part of the Public Theater's New Works Now Festival 2006 (directed by Tina Landau), winner of the 2007 Kendeda Award at the Alliance Theater Atlanta, GA. European premiere at the Young Vic, London in October 2008

** "Marcus; Or the Secret of Sweet" appeared in the Carlotta Festival 2007 at the Yale School of Drama.

* Other plays

"Without/Sin", and "Run Mourner, Run" (adapted from Randall Kenan's short story) both received their première at the Yale Cabaret and "Wig Out! A play on the KIDZ" is to be work-shopped at the Sundance Theater Lab Summer 2007. In summer of 2006 "The Breach", a play on Katrina, was commissioned by Southern Rep. Theater, in New Orleans and will receive its world premiere August 2007 marking the 2-year anniversary of the tragedy in New Orleans in New Orleans and in December 2007 at the Seattle Rep Theater.