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Danielle Deadwyler on August Wilson and Denzel Washington

2024/11/19

The New Yorker Radio Hour

AI Deep Dive AI Insights AI Chapters Transcript

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Danielle Deadwyler

David Remnick

Topics

David Remnick: 丹泽尔·华盛顿致力于将奥古斯特·威尔逊的全部十部世纪系列戏剧改编成电影，这体现了他对黑人文化和历史的贡献。影片《钢琴课》是其中一部改编作品，讲述了20世纪30年代黑人家庭的故事，以钢琴作为家族历史和身份的象征，展现了家族成员之间因对钢琴的不同理解而产生的冲突。 David Remnick: 伯尼斯和波伊·威利对钢琴的意义产生冲突，伯尼斯视其为家族历史的象征，而波伊·威利则想将其出售以购买土地，这反映了对传统和未来的不同选择。 Danielle Deadwyler: 钢琴在剧中是活生生的物件，象征着历史、传统和祖先，它在剧中人物的意识中占据重要地位，它象征着对身份认同和社会地位的质疑，促使剧中人物反思自我。黑人社区的历史很大程度上是口头传承的，通过各种方式传播，包括音乐、动作、工作和生存方式等。历史的创造和传承发生在日常生活中，它不仅来自书本和教育，也来自日常的互动和观察。历史是通过人们共同经历的奋斗、快乐、爱情和挑战而传承下来的，这与华盛顿一家人的艺术创作和传承方式相呼应。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why did Denzel Washington commit to adapting all ten of August Wilson's Century Cycle plays?

Washington aims to preserve and share Wilson's profound exploration of Black life in America through film.

What themes are central to 'The Piano Lesson'?

The play delves into inheritance, history, and the conflict between maintaining tradition and seeking new opportunities.

How does Danielle Deadwyler interpret the piano in 'The Piano Lesson'?

She sees it as a living, breathing altar and a portal that represents the family's history and identity.

What role does Zora Neale Hurston play in Danielle Deadwyler's interpretation of Bernice?

Hurston serves as an inspiration for Bernice, embodying a bold, free spirit that Bernice aspires to.

How does Danielle Deadwyler describe the passing of history in Black communities?

History is passed orally, through music, movement, work, and daily practices, often subconsciously.

What is Danielle Deadwyler's impression of the Washington family's relationship to art?

She views them as a collective spirit, continuously making art and passing on histories through their work and interactions.

How does 'The Piano Lesson' reflect on inheritance and the work of prior generations?

The film explores inheriting not just physical objects but also the lives and histories of ancestors, and the ongoing impact of their creations.

Chapters

Bernice is a widow and mother in the Charles family, central to the conflict over the family piano. She is resistant to selling the piano, seeing it as a representation of her family's identity and history.

Bernice is a widow and mother to young Maritha.
She is awakened by her brother Boy Willie, who wants to sell the piano.
Bernice views the piano as a representation of her family's identity and history.

Shownotes Transcript

Danielle Deadwyler, who first grabbed the spotlight for her performance as Emmett Till’s mother in the film “Till,” stars in a new film called “The Piano Lesson”—one of August Wilson’s Century Cycle plays about Black life in Pittsburgh. Denzel Washington has committed to adapting and producing all ten of Wilson’s Century Cycle plays; “The Piano Lesson” is directed by his son Malcolm, and his other son John David co-stars. Deadwyler plays Berniece, a widow who has kept the family piano after her migration north to Pittsburgh; her brother, who remained in Mississippi, wants to sell it to buy a plot of land. Themes of inheritance and history are central to the siblings’ conflict. “Histories are passed as we keep doing things together . . . through struggle, through joy, through lovemaking, through challenge,” Deadwyler explained to the *New Yorker’s *Doreen St. Félix). “The Piano Lesson” is playing in select theatres, and will be available on Netflix starting November 22nd.

Danielle Deadwyler on August Wilson and Denzel Washington 18:10 Share