In a departure from the usual novels and classics, today we’ll be reviewing a piece of drama. The Piano Lesson is an iconic play by American playwright, August Wilson. Written over three decades ago in 1987, this play continues to captivate and enthral audiences across the globe — be it on stage or read in a book. 

Receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1990, this play tackles strong, challenging themes head-on – and presents audiences with rich drama as a result. 

Many viewers (and readers) of Wilson’s play don’t realise that this isn’t a standalone work — and accessing this additional context unlocks even more depth to the piece. In actual fact, this play sits as the fourth instalment of a collection of 10 plays that take up Wilson’s ‘Pittsburgh Cycle’, a series chronicling African-American history. 

Regardless of whether you take the play as one of many or a standalone epic, though, it’s undeniable that Wilson clearly belongs to a long tradition of great American playwriting.

Part of the appeal of The Piano Lesson lies in its affiliation with realistic family drama. Akin to an American ‘kitchen sink’ drama, The Piano Lesson centres around ordinary people and introduces high drama into their lives for great effect.

However, since we’re talking about a play and not prose, we can’t neglect the fact that this piece was intended for the stage. So, let’s spend some time thinking about its setting, music, and directions. Wilson introduces music and stylised dance moves to critical moments in the play, alongside the unusual introduction of ghosts to produce a hauntingly effective picture.

The play centres around identity and upward mobility, layering a careful blend of didacticism and metaphors to hammer home the core messaging. As for the piano, a motif that does not get lost among the countless rich imagery (from a truckload of watermelons to passing trains), this image brings the action together as Boy Willie wants to sell the family heirloom, while Berniece is dead set against it. 

Brimming with turbulence but not without comedic and poignant moments, The Piano Lesson is the perfect all-rounder when it comes to tone and action.

Who is August Wilson?

August Wilson, fondly known as ‘theatre’s poet of Black America’ was an American playwright born in 1945 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Wilson’s plays have been much loved in America and beyond, and do important work to shed light on the historical exploitation of African Americans. This sits alongside other themes such as race relations, identity, and racial discrimination. 

Wilson served in the US Army for a three year stint from 1962, before working several careers successively as a cook, gardener, and dishwasher. Wilson’s original name was Frederick August Kittel Jr, but he changed his name in 1965 in order to honour his mother after his father passed away. 

Strongly influenced by Malcom X, Wilson co-founded the Black Horizon Theater in 1968 and went on to write and produce many, many plays.

Other books by August Wilson

Excitingly, The Piano Lesson has recently been scooped up by Netflix and has been turned into a film, produced by Denzel Washington and his son, released in November 2024. The cast is extremely impressive, featuring the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Danielle Deadwyler, John David Washington, and Ray Fisher. What’s more, Erykah Badu — a Grammy-award-winning singer and songwriter — makes a musical cameo in the film too. Grab your popcorn and get watching!

If you’re looking to discover more of August Wilson’s works — plays and otherwise — we recommend the following: 

• Joe Turner’s Come and Gone 
• Gem of the Ocean
• The Coldest Day of the Year
• Placebo
• Fullerton Street

Explore more page-turners 

Looking to add more plays to your TBR? Explore reviews in the drama genre. Or, why not venture further afield with wider fiction or thrillers? If it’s bookish content you’re after, we have it in spades over on the Victoria Freudenheim blog and our latest reviews page. Don’t miss out!