What is the lesson in \u201cThe Piano Lesson\u201d?<\/p>\n
Is it learning the notes of the Treble Clef, as in Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, and Face? Is it playing the scales? Mastering arpeggios? Scott Joplin\u2019s \u201cThe Entertainer\u201d to J.S. Bach\u2019s \u201cJesu, Joy of Man\u2019s Desiring\u201d and everything in between the black and white keys (especially that bluesy space in between the keys)?<\/p>\n
In relationships, though, and in families especially, life lessons are more than a mnemonic device.<\/p>\n
We learn gradually, are entertained enormously and shed a few tears of recognition finally in the poignant, riveting and generously humorous production of August Wilson\u2019s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama, \u201cThe Piano Lesson,\u201d through June 14, DeSales University, opening the 2026 Summer Theatre Series and 35th anniversary season of PA Shakespeare Festival.<\/p>\n
The May 29 opening night performance was seen for this review.<\/p>\n
It turns out: The piano \u201cis\u201d the lesson. And it can be quite a pain. At least, the sturdy upright in \u201cThe Piano Lesson\u201d can be: Almost an immovable force, planted stage center in the Schubert Theatre like the monolith in the movie, \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Engraved on the piano\u2019s sheet music easel are visages of the family, carved into the wood as an unspoken, unsung and unrelenting chorus.<\/p>\n
The piano goes mostly un-played.<\/p>\n
Wining Boy (smart-talking, flashy Terrence Clowe) sits down to bang out some boogie-woogie.<\/p>\n
Berniece (Jessica Johnson as the sad-eyed lady of the house) accompanies herself like a kitten on the keys as her voice soars to some ethereal place of longing, remorse and regret.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a real knuckle-buster. When Berniece\u2019s brother, Boy Willie (high-energy Akeem Davis) enlists Lymon (humorously laconic Christopher James Murray) to move the piano, it ain\u2019t budgin.\u2019 It isn\u2019t going anywhere.<\/p>\n
The instrument takes on a life of its own. It seems to shiver and shake (a \u201cMoby Dick\u201d whale obsession of Boy Willie\u2019s Captain Ahab), accompanied by ominous horror-film sounds and scary lighting effects by Scenic and Lighting Designer Thom Weaver and Sound Designer and Composer Liz Filios. Oh, and when some ghostly force seems to take over the ceiling … but that would be telling.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Piano Lesson\u201d is nothing less than a summer season supernatural thriller, a play performed with chamber music precision and jazz ensemble improvisation, superbly directed by James Ijames. Associate Director is Jordan Fidalgo.<\/p>\n
Each cast member embodies their role such that you, as the audience, don\u2019t think twice that they are acting. This includes Doaker (Kash Goins), Berniece\u2019s uncle and family anchor), Grace (Jessica Money), Boy Willie\u2019s love interest, and Maretha (Leonice Diaz). Berniece\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n
Costume Designer Jerrilyn Lanier Duckworth brings the circa 1936 styles to life.<\/p>\n
The cast has to master (and does) the lengthy dialogue that August Wilson spins out in mind-boggling detail, the dynamics between each character and the moral fulcrum that is the delicate balance on which the play rests.<\/p>\n
The household becomes an arena where the characters wrestle with the dilemma of hanging onto a family heirloom, a piano, or letting Boy Willie sell it to obtain a down payment on land way down south with the dream of his own farm and the independence of capitalism, entrepreneurship and security that can go with it.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an American tune, the American Dream, played over and over in 250 years of lessons. \u201cThe Piano Lesson\u201d is a parable for dreams fulfilled, or deferred.<\/p>\n
The ghosts of mistakes, misfortune and mischief hover and haunt the Pittsburgh family as can sometimes be the case in families.<\/p>\n
The curse becomes a blessing when Avery (jaunty Johnnie Hobbs III), a minister aspiring for a flock of his own, invokes prayer, turning watermelons into wine. Hardened hearts melt. Boy Willie makes grace. Forgiveness. Peace flows. A new tune. A new song<\/p>\n
What is the lesson of \u201cThe Piano Lesson\u201d?<\/p>\n
Perhaps it\u2019s this: Practice doesn\u2019t always make perfect. And that\u2019s OK. It\u2019s a lesson we can all learn. Maybe you need to learn it. Maybe I need to learn it. It\u2019s never too late.<\/p>\n
The PA Shakespeare Festival production teaches \u201cThe Piano Lesson\u201d to perfection. Don\u2019t miss it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Piano Lesson,\u201d 7:30 p.m. May 27, 28, 29, June 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12; 2 p.m. May 30, 31, June 14; 6:30 p.m. June 2, 9; 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. June 3, 13, PA Shakespeare Festival, Schubert Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. 610-282-9455, https:\/\/pashakespeare.org\/<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY KRISTY MCKEEVERJessica Johnson (Berniece), PA Shakespeare Festival\u2019s production of August Wilson\u2019s \u201cThe Piano Lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY ANDREA KNAPPFrom left to right: Kash Goins (Doaker), Akeem Davis (Boy Willie) and Terrence Clowe (Wining Boy), PA Shakespeare Festival\u2019s production of August Wilson\u2019s \u201cThe Piano Lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What is the lesson in \u201cThe Piano Lesson\u201d? Is it learning the notes of the Treble Clef, as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208316,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-208315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}