Prop piano from "The Piano Lesson" revival with Nord Piano keyboard
date: label: Date
content: 2022
name: label: Designed by
content: Beowulf Boritt, American
label: Designed by
content: LaTanya Richardson Jackson, American, born 1949
label: Subject of
content: August Wilson, American, 1945 - 2005
label: Subject of
content: Samuel L. Jackson, American, born 1948
label: Subject of
content: Danielle Brooks, American, born 1989
label: Subject of
content: John David Washington, American, born 1984
label: Subject of
content: Ray Fisher, American, born 1987
label: Subject of
content: Trai Byers, American, born 1983
label: Subject of
content: Michael Potts, American
label: Subject of
content: Nadia Daniel
label: Subject of
content: Jurnee Swan
label: Subject of
content: April Matthis
label: Subject of
content: Ethel Barrymore Theatre, American, founded 1928
label: Produced by
content: 88 Notes LLC, American, founded 2022
label: Manufactured by
content: Clavia Digital Musical Instruments, Swedish, founded 1983
notes: label: Description
content: The prop piano from the 2022 Broadway revival of August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson." Prop is in the style of an upright piano and features relief panels depicting faces and figures of the Charles family's ancestors on the upper front board, upper front board side strips, lower front board, legs, and left side board. The figures are in the style of the ujamaa, Dimoongo, or "Tree of Life" tradition of the Makonde people, and they are shown variously "jumping the broom," embracing children, supporting each other, held in bondage, and being crushed underneath a wooden casket. The figures are 3D printed out of plastic polymer resin and painted to appear like ebony.
label: Description
content: The prop houses a Nord Piano 5 keyboard with keys stained to appear like aged ivory. The keyboard sits in a tray in the prop piano.
place: label: Place used
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Broadway Theatre
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Literature
label: Topic
content: Motherhood
label: Topic
content: Slavery
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Musical Instruments
label: Classification
content: Props and Set Design
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Director & Producers: LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Brian Anthony Moreland, Kandi Burruss, Todd Tucker, and Tom Kirdahy
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2023.23ab
objectType: label: Type
content: keyboard instruments
label: Type
content: upright pianos
label: Type
content: props (object genres)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: plastic polymer resin, wood and metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 58 × 58 1/2 × 30 1/4 in. (147.3 × 148.6 × 76.8 cm)