Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Ron OJ Parson, director of Court Theatre’s new production of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” is an unabashed lover of mysteries, whodunits and thrillers. It’s no surprise that Parson has chosen to direct this particular play twice in the last decade. At its core, “The Piano Lesson” is a ghost story, albeit one where the living have blood on their hands."
Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...What the play still needs—almost 20 years after its premiere—is an editor. But director Ron OJ Parson seems reluctant to intervene. His production faithfully renders every word in the script and offers little in the way of innovation. Keith Pitts’s standard-issue set, depicting the kitchen and living room of Berniece’s home, includes loads of realistic detail, right down to a working stove and running water in the sink, but no surprises either."
Examiner
- Somewhat Recommended
"...The dialogue sparks with intelligence, the characters run as deep as the wells that figure in several off-stage drownings, and the plot is a high stakes clash between the natural and the supernatural worlds.
The downside: Wilson peters out with his final scene, leaving many a loose end dangling and filling the stage with the contrived drama of special effects and cacophonous screaming in lieu of a solid, satisfying conclusion. But right up until those final flashy and ultimately disappointing moments, The Piano Lesson is both richly rewarding and absorbing."
Windy City Times
- Highly Recommended
"...Seeing August Wilson's 1990 drama The Piano Lesson serves as a vital reminder of how much the late playwright was a master of both American history and magical realism. Court Theatre's lovingly staged revival under director Ron OJ Parson is a must-see for anyone—particularly for those who love hearing cracking good dialogue that doubles as musical poetry."
Copley News Service
- Highly Recommended
"...Like other plays in the cycle, “The Piano Lesson” is expansive in length (almost three hours) and filled with pungent and lyrical dialogue, dramatic monologues, earthy comedy, and sudden bursts of song. Boy Willie is one of the great figures in the boundless Wilson gallery of imaginatively conceived men and women—a character of limitless energy and determination, fearless and proud, funny, and fixated on owning his own land to claim his manhood and make his mark in the world. The man dominates the Court production in Ronald Conner’s robust performance."
Time Out Chicago
- Recommended
"...With an excellent cast on hand, Parson shows off his ease with coaching Wilson’s rhythms out of actors. The director again anchors a Wilson revival with the authoritative Smith as the patriarch, although the tragedy doesn’t quite soar as it did in their previous collaboration, Fences. But penny-ante dramas are evenly distributed to the beautifully tattered Wilson as a broken-down piano player, open-faced Weddington as a hired hand with big dreams, and Conner, whose explosive, ambitious Boy Willie commands the evening."
ChicagoCritic
- Highly Recommended
"...See this show and discover the roots of a unique part of the American Experience as remembered by a family that suffered in slavery. This brilliant play vividly presents the struggle to come to terms with one’s inheritance and the ghosts of one’s dead. The play’s ending is chilling. August Wilson’s was an American treasure and The Piano Lesson is a master work of theatrical art."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...The depth of Wilson's writing and characterizations is vast. When the characters suddenly burst into an impromptu railroad folk spiritual, they raise the roof of the theatre. A second act exorcism is nearly as rousing. And even the quiet moments, such as Doaker's tales of his family's struggles and Berniece's memory of her mother polishing the piano with her own tears and blood are stirring. Few playwrights these days can match Wilson's command of the language or his ability to draw historical parallels into timeless connections. This is drama at its finest."
Chicago Theater Beat
- Recommended
"...The cast shines with many experienced August Wilson actors, many of whom have been in productions of “Piano Lesson” across the country. Conner is an energetic and stubborn Boy Willie, bristling with youthful drive. He’s grounded by his friend Lymon, played by a charismatic Brian Weddington. The older generation in the play, Alfred H. Wilson’s funny Wining Boy and A.C. Smith as the peacekeeping Doaker, add a deeper level of humanity to the play and present a welcome break from Boy Willie’s and Berneice’s constant bickering."
