Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, THE PIANO LESSON follows the lives of the Charles family as they clash over an heirloom piano, a priceless memento which documents the family history through carvings made by their enslaved ancestor. The battle between brother and sister — one hopes to sell it, the other refuses to give it up — unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived and who defines a family legacy. Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Jerrika Hinton, Gail Bean, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins star in Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut based on the Pulitzer-prize winning August Wilson play.

"With performances that will resonate, 'The Piano Lesson' is a lesson in love, friendship and family. It serves as a reminder that generational wealth is not just monetary, but emotionally and genetically tied to our ancestors." (The Wrap)

"With 'The Piano Lesson', Wilson wrote one of the great female roles of his career, and in Deadwyler, we get a leading lady who smolders even when silent, finding layers even the author couldn’t have anticipated." (Variety)

"Deadwyler submits herself completely to the will of her character. She slips into her skin with a quiet ease and, once bonded, finds and reveals her truth. The results are often electric." (Hollywood Reporter)

"'The Piano Lesson' is a meditation on trauma and the necessity of confronting it in order to free oneself from the ghosts of the past — a message so powerful that it's sure to haunt audiences long after the credits roll." (Entertainment Weekly)

Monday, November 11
Doors 5:45 pm | Movie 6:15 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

THE PIANO LESSON (Malcolm Washington, 2024 / 125 mins / PG) Follows the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. The play focuses on the arguments between a brother and a sister who have different ideas on what to do with the piano. The brother, Boy Willie, is a sharecropper who wants to sell the piano to buy the land (Sutter's land) where his ancestors toiled as slaves. The sister, Berniece, remains emphatic about keeping the piano, which shows the carved faces of their great-grandfather's wife and son during the days of their enslavement.