The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

Thanks to the fact that there was no school the following morning, I was pretty excited to see the Piano Lesson on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. For some reason, I did not expect a very extravagant play for some reason; I was thinking it would be more of a mediocre type of play, one similar to all the other ones I ever saw and quickly forgot soon afterwards. However, this was not the case, as it left me pondering and reflecting on the comparison between what I had read and what I had just seen.

I should mention that, as I was reading, Berniece was probably my favorite character. To me, she was the epitome of a strong woman, one capable of raising her daughter and shaping her into a strong young woman, regardless of the fact that her husband had died. I admired her ability to put her brother, and the rest of the men, in their places, and was also able to stay put in her decision to keep the piano, and not sell it for any amount of money offered. However, for some odd reason, I found the actress’ portrayal in the play a bit annoying. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but Berniece that I saw on Wednesday was a bit irritating to me. She seemed like a strict mother to everyone, more than anything else. Furthermore, Maretha (her daughter) and Grace seemed to have hardly any real significance. If anything, they served the purpose to highlight, even further, Berniece as a “strict mother” figure.

The play started on a very entertaining note. I loved Boy Willie and Lymon, as well as their interactions with other characters. Whenever the two of them were on stage together, for the most part anyway, the mood of the play was more light-hearted and the audience would often find itself laughing away at Boy Willie’s attitude, or Lymon’s clumsiness. Piano Lesson itself seemed divided into three parts: the beginning, or the entertaining introduction, the middle, or the slower part, and the ending, where the play picked up as it reached its climax. After the intermission, things were moving a bit slow, at least until Lymon started flirting with Berniece (a point at which we are finally reminded that, beneath that hard shell of a strict woman, there is a caring woman in need of a man, who is still mourning the death of her husband).

The ghost-like effects were very well done, with an excellent use of lights and flying curtains. I thought the ending was great, though Berniece’s constant “I want you to help me” screams were slightly awkward, even though they were a part of the original play. Although the ending was powerful, it happened very quickly, and soon afterwards, the actors were bowing and leaving the stage. Overall, I did enjoy the play, and thought it was worth coming home around midnight. Despite my critical viewpoint in certain parts that I discussed, I thought it was powerful and entertaining, for the most part. From the stage, to costumes, to piano, to the actors’ accents, everything seemed immaculate and reflected the effort coming from those working on and behind the stage. My definite favorite part was the singing, which left me pretty much blown away with the passion those actors exhibited. It really influenced my opinion of the play to be more positive.