Awoods Love is just Nick WVL Less and I'm here for the piano lesson. The 1987 American Playwright that has been redone by Latanya Richardson Jackson, that is Samuel Jackson's wife who is directing this and we are going behind the scenes to talk with some of the cast members to see what their takes and thoughts are on their roles and the playing itself. Join me. Hey, Justin Nick here with WVL Less and we're here. The piano lesson is getting ready to debut on the 19th of this month and I'm super excited to be standing here talking with a producer Brian Morgan. Tell me about what it's like to work with such a great cast. Their dream come true. Every single person has been an absolute dream. You know, sometimes you hear of people not getting along and the cast are not jelling. This cast has been a family from day one. They're supporting each other. They're pulling for one another. I mean, as evident as they're moving through the room here today, everyone is moving as a family, you know, as if they've been together for 30 or 40 or 50 years. And right now I'm here with one of the actors of the play and he is an amazing actor. I thank you so much for being here. Ray Fisher. So tell me, what do you think that this play is about to you? To me, this play is about family history. I think it's about heritage. I think it's about who gets to tell your story, who gets to set the narrative. I think it's about people trying to find their autonomy and trying to find a better way of living. What I noticed the theme is about sacrifice and compromise. So tell me about that when it relates to this play. Well, you know, you've got these siblings who are two really, two sides are the same coin. One is interested in preserving legacy and the other is trying to put forward a stake in the American dream, becoming an entrepreneur and taking that part of legacy to help evolve, to help move to the next level in life, to live in a certain way. And that's pretty much the maddically what that is. Tell me about your role because obviously you're going to be having some disagreements with your brother in this play. And we talk about sacrifice and compromise. So what does that mean to you in terms of this play when it comes to sacrifice and compromise? Yeah, I don't think Rene's wants any sacrifice or compromise on her end. She wants what she wants and she wants this family heirloom to stay. You know, I think she is not a woman of change. She wants the structure and her brother comes into shake things up. So tell me, now I talk with Danielle and we talked about the vicarying in the back and forth. She said her character is like she knows what she wants and you know, you have to kind of deal with that. So we talk about sacrifice and compromise. So tell me about that when it pertains to this play. Sacrificing compromise. Yeah, there's a push and pull and even negotiations are always happening, especially when it comes to siblings. And what he thinks is important and what she thinks is important. There's a bit of a divide there and it becomes a negotiation. So I might call it a bicker. So I might call it an outright just disrespectful argument. But there's an exchange of words, beautiful words written by August Wilson. That's all make clear to the audience members of whose right, whose maybe not. There are ghosts in this play. Tell me about the significance of the ghost to you. To me, the ghosts are what's not settled. If a soul is at rest, then we don't have to worry about no ghosts. But if there's something from beyond, something from the past, something from our dead, that's unresolved, something that hasn't been named, something if there's a longing that goes beyond like this plane, that it's a need that hasn't been met. And there are a lot of generational needs that haven't been met. Right now I'm sitting here with actor from Empire and you've seen them other places. He's going to be starring in this play as well. Trey Buyers, how are you? I'm fantastic, how are you? Obviously in the show Empire, which is very contrast to this character. How has that been? Well, Andre was bipolar. And Avery is very much an entrepreneur, kind of like Andre, but at the same time, he's a led by faith. He's had a dream that he's supposed to be a pastor, a lot like Joseph in the Bible, and is in hot pursuit. He's kind, he's generous, he's a lot softer, not as hard as Andre Lyon. Yeah, so his process I think is a lot softer until it has to get a little bit edgier as we move along the play. You'll see what he's willing to do to prove the power of God. So what would you like to tell our viewers before we let you go about why they should go see this play, especially for those who've never seen a play before? Gosh, if you've never seen an August Wilson play, come, come, come to see the piano lesson. Because you will see yourselves reflected right back. And I have to say, a lot of people, especially people in the UK that I've been talking with, they say, August Wilson is our American Shakespeare. He tells the stories of the people, the black people, our black ancestors that lived in the 20th century. He is a master, Tori storyteller. He's a poet, and he is America's Shakespeare. You heard it, guys. September 19th, just Nick WVLS.