The Piano Lesson is a story that encompasses the value of family and heritage, the dream of a better life and the mysteriousness of the supernatural.
On Nov. 8, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play debuted at the UCF Conservatory Theatre to a virtually full house.
Audience members entered the Black Box theater to the sound of live African American Gospel music and Negro spirituals, which set the tone for the theatrical journey ahead.
Sophomore David Raanan said he really enjoyed the show.
"It's deep," he said. "It has flavor and soul and emotion. And with the music, it has it all."
The Piano Lesson's Director, Belinda Boyd, highlighted the ancestral spirituality playwright August Wilson incorporated into the story by weaving spiritual songs throughout the play. The show originally had no music, but Boyd used message-filled songs to emphasize the action on stage.
Boyd said she wanted viewers to take away an important lesson from the play.
"It's kind of a history lesson," she said. "I hope they understand what it was like for Boy Willie to want a dream so much that he's willing to sell his own legacy to get the American dream."
The play begins with Boy Willie (David Tate), along with his friend Lymon (Michael Baugh), visiting his family in 1930s Pittsburgh after being away for three years since the death of his sister Berniece's (Sidonie Smith) husband.
Tension between the siblings is apparent as soon as they see each other.
Boy Willie announces that he has returned to sell the family's slavery heirloom piano in order to purchase the land that their ancestors worked on as slaves.
Senior Tereva Hubbard said she believes it was important that The Piano Lesson was performed here at UCF.
"I like how real it is," she said. "It really depicts what's going on in that time, how much injustice there was and how racism was present."
Berniece is against the piano leaving the house because their father died to keep it in the family when he stole it from the family's former slave master, Sutter. After his wife and son were exchanged for the piano, their grandfather carved the family's history into it.
Valencia Community College student Clarence Tate said he felt "the story is about family and how you should come together."
Other characters such as Doaker (A.C. Sanford), Whining Boy (Alex Lewis) and Preacher Avery (Kenneth Dowling) all participate in the struggle over the family's piano.
They are all present at the climax of the play when the house is in complete chaos as Boy Willie battles Sutter's ghost.
Even though Avery blesses the house, Sutter's ghost does not go away until Berniece, possessed by her ancestors, plays the piano.
Ultimately, the family agrees that it is best to leave the piano where it is.
Junior Tyler Clites said he had to see the play as a requirement for his theatre survey class.
"I wouldn't have seen it otherwise, but I'm really glad I did," he said. "I thought the performance was great, the direction was great and the set was great. I loved every bit of it."
The Piano Lesson will be running until Sunday, with shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call the box office at 407-823-1500.
Be the first to comment on this article!