Post-Show Discussion Activity

Use these questions to reflect, discuss, or journal about your experience and reactions to The Piano Lesson. Explore any of the questions that interest you.

If engaging in this activity independently, consider taking notes or writing your reflections down. If engaging in this activity with a class or group, decide if you would like to answer every question in order, skip around, or select certain questions to spend time on. 

Discussion Questions

1. Boy Willie, Lymon, Doaker, and Wining Boy all spent time at Parchment Farm, forced to do hard labor while imprisoned. How do the different characters refer to their time there? What are the different ways in which they process this experience, both independently and with each other? 
2. The Piano Lesson is steeped in the supernatural. Discuss the significance and impact of the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog, and the presence of Sutter’s ghost. 
3. Avery and Boy Willie are two men who are at odds with one another, but they still have a lot in common. Compare and contrast their world views and ambitions. 
4. When Berniece chastises Maretha by saying she wished she was a boy, Boy Willie responds strongly and emotionally. In Act 2 Scene 5, he says, “You got her going out here thinking she wrong in the world. Like there ain’t no part of it that belong to her.” Where does this reaction come from? What does the subsequent conversation tell us about both of the siblings? 
5. Berniece is afraid to touch the piano, but insists on keeping it in her home. Unpack her journey from the beginning to the end of the play. What allows her to finally call upon her ancestors and play?

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• This activity aligns with the following standards:
  • Illinois Arts Learning Standards
    • Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
    • Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
    • Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
  • Common Core State Standards 
    • CCSS.ELA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
    • CCSS.ELA.RL.3  Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
      

Posted on November 5, 2025 in Learning Guides, Productions