Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the mid 1930s, August Wilson's ''The Piano Lesson'' chronicles the battle between a brother and sister over whether to sell the family's piano. Boy Willie Charles wants to sell the heirloom to purchase land against the wishes of his sister, Berniece. The siblings' own great-grandfather, a slave, carved intricate images of the family's history onto the piano in the mid-nineteenth century after his own wife and young son were traded for it.

This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama explores the way the Charles siblings relate to their own family's history—in very different ways.

The Piano Lesson premiered at the Yale Repertory Theater in 1987. It debuted on Broadway in 1990, to critical acclaim. S. Epatha Merkerson portrayed Berniece Charles and Charles S. Dutton played Boy Willie Charles.

''The Piano Lesson'' won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1990, as well as the Best Play of the Year by the New York Drama Critics' Circle.

The following are references used for the above information (including the original ''New York Times'' review of the play):

''The New York Times'':
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE4DB133BF934A25757C0A966958260

''The New York Times'':
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFDE153DF930A25757C0A966958260

The University of Iowa:
http://www.news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/february/022208piano_lesson.html


Wilson's 10-play cycle began with ''Gem of the Ocean'' and concluded with ''Radio Golf.'' ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' and ''Seven Guitars'' are the "bookends" for ''The Piano Lesson.'' This article from the ''San Diego Union-Tribune'' offers a fantastic timeline, so you can really see the progression of each of the plays:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051003/news_1n3wilson.html

Hope this helps!

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