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ON STAGE
Black Theatre Troupe will stage August Wilson classic in Phoenix
‘The Piano Lesson’ explores African American history and heritage
(Poster provided by Black Theatre Troupe)
“The Piano Lesson” runs Feb. 2-18 in Phoenix.
Posted
IF YOU GO
What: “The Piano Lesson”
When: Feb. 2-18
Where: Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington St., Phoenix
Tickets: $50, available at blacktheatretroupe.org/pianolesson
Black Theatre Troupe
Founded by Helen K. Mason in 1970 as a space for underserved artists to share the Black experience, Black Theatre Troupe began performing small plays, poetry readings, and musical performances in a community center in Phoenix’s historic multi-cultural Eastlake Park.
Special to Independent Newsmedia
Black Theatre Troupe will stage August Wilson's critically acclaimed play “The Piano Lesson” in Phoenix.
The powerful drama, set against the backdrop of 1930s Pittsburgh, is an exploration of African American history and heritage. The production runs from Friday, Feb. 2 through Sunday, Feb. 18 at the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington St.
“The Piano Lesson” is the fourth play in Wilson's remarkable Pittsburgh Cycle, also known as the Century Cycle, which consists of 10 plays exploring the African American experience in each decade of the 20th century. Last performed by Black Theatre Troupe in 1996, the company is bringing Wilson's iconic work back to the stage, continuing its commitment to showcasing the diverse and powerful voices within the African American theatrical tradition.
The play, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1990, revolves around the Charles family and an heirloom piano that holds the ghosts of the family's past, a press release explains. As the family grapples with their history and the legacy of slavery, they confront questions of identity, heritage, and the price of the American Dream.
Phoenix's Black Theatre Troupe is one of the few companies in the U.S. to have produced all 10 plays of Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, an accomplishment which was acknowledged last year with an award from August Wilson House/The August Wilson Estate and the Pittsburgh/Post Gazette.
