The Piano Lesson is set in Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1936. A brother and sister are locked in a war over the fate of a family heirloom: a piano carved with the faces of their ancestors. Only by revisiting history can the siblings endeavor to move forward. Directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson, The Piano Lesson is a part of August Wilson's American Century Cycle, which chronicles the Black experience throughout the 20th Century over the course of ten plays.
Whether or not to preserve the legacy of the past, however horrific, is the compelling theme of this elemental drama which showcases Wilson's prodigious gifts for poetical dialogue and richly drawn characterizations. It's filled with emotionally resonant moments, the quieter of which are the best rendered in this production. Perhaps the highlight is the scene in which the eager Lymon, newly clad in a resplendent if far too small silk suit and fancy shoes that he's purchased from Doaker's comically blustery brother Wining Boy (Michael Potts, terrific), nearly manages to break down Berniece's emotional defenses by gifting her with a bottle of fancy perfume. Brooks and Fisher play the delicate scene perfectly, thoroughly winning over the audience which practically swoons. Unfortunately, the production falters in its more explosive moments, with Washington, apparently making his stage acting debut, maintaining such a high energy and decibel level throughout that his unmodulated performance becomes monotonous. Boy Willie is supposed to be the volcanic center of the drama, but here he comes across as more irritating than a force of nature.
And yet even among Wilson's outstanding and occasionally surreal plays, 'The Piano Lesson,' both a family drama and a ghost story, stands out as one of the odder works. It's a mix of themes and tones, both concrete and ethereal, ghoulish and comedic, but the imbalanced direction here, by LaTanya Richardson Jackson, overemphasizes the horror too literally; it works best on a metaphorical level.
1990 | Broadway |
Broadway |
2012 | Off-Broadway |
Signature Theatre Company Off-Broadway |
2022 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | Danielle Brooks |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play | Ray Fisher |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play | Japhy Weideman |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Piano Lesson |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Wig and Hair | Cookie Jordan |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Danielle Brooks |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | John David Washington |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | The Piano Lesson |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play | Danielle Brooks |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play | Michael Potts |
2023 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Awards | John David Washington |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Samuel L. Jackson |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | The Piano Lesson |
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