The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

The Signature Theatre Company’s production of “The Piano Lesson,” directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, was a worthwhile performance that enabled me to further and greatly appreciate August Wilson’s work for a number of reasons.

Although the play most certainly followed Wilson’s dialogue and instructions to a tee, Boy Willie’s “boyishness,” brashness, and impulsivity are evident. His personality shines on stage incomparably to that of the written version. The power and struggle behind Boy Willie’s words are wonderfully stressed by Brandon J. Dirden’s performance. For example, Boy Willie’s proclamation, “She ain’t got to sell it. I’m gonna sell it. I own just as much of it as she does,” lacks the intensity and passion Dirden provides it with on stage when compared to the text. Charles Isherwood, author of the hyperlinked review of the play’s revival from the New York Times, describes Boy Willie’s entrance beautifully: “He blows into the living room of the house where the play is set like a fierce gust of wind, brimming with excited talk [and] … seems filled to bursting with ambition, excitement, heedless hope.” This could not be a more perfect indication of how ‘alive’ the play is on stage.

Berniece’s character, played by Roslyn Ruff, comes to life in the second half of the play, although her strength and in-your-face attitude are evident from the moment of her appearance on stage.

In contrast to reading the play, Lymon’s child-like spirit and his comedic relief are better seen on stage. The inflections of his voice and gentleness are priceless. A great moment reflecting this is:

Boy Willie: She getting big, Doaker. You remember her, Lymon?

Lymon: She used to be real little.

Another enjoyable moment includes Boy Willie’s remark regarding James Sutter, when Berniece thought she saw Sutter’s ghost, where he says, “The man ain’t never left Marlin County when he was living … and he’s gonna come all he way up here now that he’s dead?” I cannot stress how surprised I was by Dirden’s rendition of Boy Willie; I was quite amazed.

Boy Willie playing boogie-woogie on the piano, Doaker instructing Berniece on which ham hocks to pick up from Logan Street, and the lively singing of “Oh Lord Berta,” amongst others, brought a smile to each member of the audience; entertaining and captivating scenes.

These moments were incredible to watch, but I do have some criticisms as well. For one thing, the second half of the play went by too fast. Reading the play was much more satisfying because the moments sunk in – they did not overwhelm you. The play’s ending, on the other hand, was quite overwhelming – my second problem. Ghosts, flickering lights, screams, pleas, cries, struggle, a booming piano, and other elements that contributed to the chaos of that culminating moment appeared, quite frankly, as excessive – for lack of a better term.

Admittedly, I was hoping Santiago-Hudson would take some creative license and give audiences that ‘Of Mice and Men moment’ many of us, or at least myself, were hoping for – Berniece taking aim and shooting Boy Willie. I remember thinking that I would have preferred to see that scenario unfold rather than the play’s ending – during which one thought ran through my mind: “Wow, overly dramatic.” I now realize that Wilson intended this scene to be an “exorcism and a dressing for battle. A rustle of wind blowing across two continents,” thus requiring the scene to be that ‘over-the-top.’

Before ending, I would like to share a short, but insightful, piece of information Toni Morrison provides, in her foreword of my copy of the play, very accurately and succinctly explaining how The Piano Lesson is representative of the struggle the play’s characters face – “the dilemma of embracing their past as slaves in the thirties.” She notes that Berniece’s unbreakable attachment to the piano “is literally and figuratively her and her ancestors’ history.” Boy Willie’s struggle to sell the piano is not for the mere possession of pocket money; it is a “fierce determination to acquire the slave-owning family’s land is fueled by a history of white violence.” She concludes her analysis with a powerful description of the piano: “the womb and seed of the outrageous personal malice suffered by family members as well as their revenge.”

While I feel that reading the play relays these messages and themes across more readily than viewing its performance, the emotions and visual representation of this message are undoubtedly and exquisitely performed by the Signature Theatre’s cast.

– Salma