Overview
Synopsis
The Piano Lesson is the fourth play in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle. It takes place in 1936 and centers around a family, more specifically, a brother and a sister. Boy Willie shows up at his sister Berniece’s home after having recently been let out of prison in Mississippi. Right away we see that he is trouble, and he and his sister Berniece begin arguing from the moment he shows up at her door. Boy Willie soon reveals that he is here to take their family’s old piano and sell it in order buy back the land that their family had worked as slaves, but Berniece refuses to give it up. We see them grapple with the question of past vs. future as Boy Willie attempts to take ownership over their family history while Berniece fights to keep her family’s legacy alive. All the while, the piano acts as a constant reminder of the many ghosts of the past, good and bad, that haunt their lives.
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Context
The Piano Lesson takes place in the 1930s and is the fourth play of August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle. It received the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for drama, the 1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, the 1990 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play and the 1995 Peabody Award. It was also Tony nominated for Best Play in 1990. August was inspired by the Romare Bearden painting ‘The Piano Lesson’ and set out to write a play featuring a
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Act One
Scene 1
Boy Willie and his friend Lymon come pounding on the door at dawn and wake up Boy Willie’s uncle, Doaker, who let’s them in. Boy Willie hasn’t been around for three years because he’s been in the Parchman Prison Farm. Against Doaker’s warnings, Boy Willie wakes up his sister, Berniece, who comes down the stairs, angry about all the noise so early in the morning. Boy Willie takes no time to tell them that the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog has killed Sutter, the family who
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Piano Lesson.
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Key Terms
A group of performers who function as a unit in a production rather than as individuals with leading roles.
A historic economic crisis dramatized in plays to explore poverty, resilience, and social upheaval.
A prestigious U.S. award for achievements in journalism, literature, and drama. Many modern plays that reflect social and political themes have received this honor.
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