“The Piano Lesson”
All of the actors/actresses in “The Piano Lesson” were amazing. They had such a large stage presence that it was really impossible to be bored with the play. The arguments between Boy Willie and Berniece were loud and aggressive, always quieting the audience. The Roslyn Ruff and Brandon Dirden were able to portray their characters extremely well. You could tell that both characters, being siblings, were stubborn and obsessive to the point that neither were willing to give up the piano to the other. On the other hand Lymon’s and Wining Boy’s comic relief always made the audience laugh. I liked that the drama in the play was interrupted by funnier parts because it kept the play from being too serious and sad. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the theater was the set. It was amazing! The whole “house” was detailed and all of the props were interactive and realistic. The lighting perfectly complimented the scenes and I think that the set really made the play more fun for me.
My favorite part was when Wining Boy tricked Lymon by selling Lymon his over-sized silk suit. I agree with the New York Times article that this scene between Wining Boy and Lymon was the “play’s comic high point”. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I couldn’t help but laugh. The scenes when the actors sang was also parts that I liked. Sometimes the songs where funny and reminiscent but I thought that song that Wining Boy wrote for the only woman he ever loved was stunning.
The only thing that I didn’t quite like was the ending. While the first part of the play allowed the plot to slowly develop, the second part was fast and the ending was abrupt. Personally I thought that the ending with the ghost, lights and loud banging were a little dramatic and didn’t really match the rest of the play. Everyone was screaming and crying and then everything stopped when Berniece played the piano. I don’t know, the whole thing just seemed a little too much too fast. But overall I really liked the play and I’m glad I went to see it.
Posted: November 28th, 2012 under Theater.
