Theater Reviews: Attempts on Her Life, The Last Schwartz, The Piano Lesson

THE PIANO LESSON At 5 a.m., Doaker (Alex Morris) is awakened by pounding on the door of his Philadelphia house. It’s his brother, Boy Willie (Russell Andrews), and his friend, Lymon (Roscoe C. Freeman), up from the South with a truck of watermelons they intend to sell. Boy Willie’s noisy entrance also wakes up Doaker’s sister Berniece (Vanessa Bell Calloway), who sees Boy Willie as trouble in the making. As soon as Berniece’s daughter, Maretha (DaShawn R. Barnes), leaves for school and Berniece for work, Boy Willie tries to enlist Doaker in his plan to sell the family heirloom: a piano hand-carved with the faces of relatives and African totems. Set during the Depression, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson is one of the most engaging in his ten-play cycle about African American life in the 20th century. Claude Purdy directs a uniformly strong cast, including Julius Tennon as a preacher and Diarra O. Kilpatrick (substituting for Tammi Mac) as a floozy. Joel Daavid’s production design lends itself to non-intrusive stage business on the well-thought-out set, which is, of course, dominated by the piano. RKA/StageWalker Productions with 444 Productions at THE HAYWORTH, 2509 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; Thurs.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.; thru Dec. 9 (no perfs Nov. 22-23). (213) 389-9860. (Sandra Ross)

SHAKESPEARE’S R&J Four boys in a rigid, puritanical Catholic high school obtain a clandestine copy of Shakespeare’s “forbidden” play, Romeo and Juliet, and join forces to read it aloud, sharing the roles. The project becomes a voyage of discovery in which they must deal with disturbing ideas and feelings regarding gender, repression and their own sexuality. Joe Calarco’s script is more elaborate concept than original play, since most of the words are the Bard’s. Director Derek Charles Livingston opts to treat the framing device perfunctorily, emphasizing Shakespeare instead. So what we see is not dangerous, spontaneous adolescent exploration, but a fully rehearsed production, with revelations already processed. Though, as Shakespeare, it’s rousing, inventive, and exuberantly physical, the nature of the boys’ responses is only fitfully articulated, and the subtleties and nuances of Calarco’s vision concept get short shrift. David Pintado charms as a brash, boyish Romeo, while Wyatt Fenner offers a shyly ardent Juliet and a loyal, self-effacing Benvolio. Eric Fagundes provides a flamboyant Mercutio, a sententious Friar Lawrence, and a broadly sketched Lady Capulet, while Topher Brattain plays a fiery Tybalt and a pushy, insinuating Nurse. August Viverito designed the simple, handsome set. The Production Company at THE CHANDLER STUDIO, 12443 Chandler Blvd., N. Hlywd; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 3 p.m., thru Dec. 8. (800) 838-23006. (Neal Weaver)