As Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy bowed on Broadway January 8, the work brought something truly fresh to the Manhattan Theatre Club stage.

Watch: THE COMPANY OF CHOIR BOY GREETS PLAYBILL ON THE OPENING NIGHT RED CARPET LIVESTREAM

Set at the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys, the play brings a cast of nine young black men to the stage as they struggle with questions of identity and expression, amidst academic pressures and moral codes. As Pharus prepares to finally ascend to his place as the leader of Drew’s choir, some of his peers are threatened by his “lifestyle.” Who are Pharus’ classmates?

We asked the cast of the play, directed by Trip Cullman, to give us a primer on the students of Drew and what to expect from them in the Oscar winner’s Broadway debut work.