←Recommendations of Bars and Measures

Superb piece! It explores the intersections of things both huge and small--family, sibling relationships, incarceration, Islam and Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, music, and so much more--in a theatrical and compelling fashion. The way music is integrated and the poignant and nuanced metaphors--music style, the visual of cells and bars, etc.--make for what I imagine is a visual and aural treat in production. I'd love to see this on its feet!

A marvelous exploration between two brothers who are separated by so much, but are united by music and love. Spectacluar and truly beautiful!

I return often to the power of this play and its many complex layers. An absolute marvel to behold, BARS AND MEASURES finds astounding ways to critique so many facets of our deeply flawed culture while still telling a heartrending tale of two brothers bound by music but separated by so many distances both physical and metaphorical. Idris Goodwin is a master at his craft, using music, dialogue, and social ills to show us the depth of emotion one goes through in the journey of life. It's a marvelous play. Read it and let the music wash over you.

The play makes space for the relationship between the brothers to shift and change through the music of scat that they share together. This illustrates a wonderful way to allow for such changes to be shown without words. Beyond that, I found the play to be thrilling for its ambition and scope. Extremely relevant and fascinating!

Goodwin's play touches on the cultural divide of our age, from the vantage point of two brothers, each talented, professional musicians. The plot (did-he-or-didn't-he) is extremely compelling. I was also drawn to the older/younger sibling dynamics, which I found achingly familiar. The larger story addresses the misunderstandings which have and will continue to plague our nation, and our world. I love this script.

Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and immediate: BARS AND MEASURES walks the line between worlds, blurs them together, and separates them again. The final moment of this play is inevitable, and the impact took my breath away. I hope I have the chance to see a production of this someday soon. A must-read.

Two different brothers, Bilal and Eric, of two different faiths, Islam and Christianity. They are separated by prison bars, but they find at times a way to communicate through the language of music-- of Beethoven and Coltrane. A lyrical, intense play about brotherhood.

Bars and Measures by Idris Goodwin received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The partnering NNPN Member Theaters were B Street Theatre (Sacramento, CA), Prop Thtr (Chicago, IL), Jungle Theater (Minneapolis, MN), and The Theatre @ Boston Court (Pasadena, CA)