The Piano Lesson

Let’s talk about rhythm.

In music, rhythm refers to patterns – the recurrence and repetition of notes and silences; the placements of sounds in time; the design that makes up the song. It can be random or regular. It can alternate and flow. Its progression through the music defines the piece’s length and pace and tension. It is the literal beating heart of musical expression.

August Wilson writes in rhythm. The music of language is his distinctive instrument. He never formally studied theater. In fact, he dropped out of high school at age 15 after being falsely accused of plagiarism. In place of formal schooling, Wilson camped out in the local library, immersing himself in the language and culture of his neighborhood. All but one of the plays in his seminal Century Cycle are set in that place – the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “I owe my education to the 4 B’s,” he would say. “The Blues, the art of Romare Bearden, the poetry of Amiri Baraka and the writing of Jorge Luis Borges.”

There’s literal rhythm in The Piano Lesson, of course. The central struggle in the play is concentrated on a musical instrument, an artfully carved piano whose owner allows it to sit neglected in the parlor of the Charles home. Its value is not, however, determined by its musicality. The piano is a link to something much greater – a troubled past shared by a family struggling with poverty, legacy and regret. But it’s not the only instrument in the home: each and every member of the Charles household is gifted with the rhythm of August Wilson. Even when simply speaking, these characters seem to sing with the poetry of history, revelation and the great gift of storytelling that defines their individual connections to a past that both betrayed and defines them. It’s a fascinating song with an indelible rhythm; a cadence that is unique yet familiar; a meter that drives and compels; a beat that defines this family’s lilting, bluesy song.

JDK and A-MP
March, 2023