Video: THE PIANO LESSON Director Talks Two River Theater Production

Two River Theater posted a new installment of its IN THE KNOW series featuring Artistic Director Justin Waldman in conversation with Francois Battiste, director of the theater's upcoming production of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson. The video offers an intimate look at Battiste's approach to the Pulitzer Prize-winning play ahead of its run at the Red Bank, New Jersey theater.

The Piano Lesson centers on a brother and sister locked in a dispute over a family heirloom piano, weighing whether to sell it or preserve its history. The play is part of August Wilson's Century Cycle, a series of ten works chronicling Black American life across the 20th century, and remains one of Wilson's most widely produced dramas for its exploration of legacy, memory, and inheritance.

Two River Theater's staging marks the eighth Wilson production the company has mounted as part of its ongoing commitment to presenting all ten plays in the Century Cycle. The Piano Lesson is set to run September 12 through October 4 in the Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater, opening the theater's 2026/27 season.

The conversation follows earlier coverage of the production's casting and creative team, including an interview with cast member Danielle Moné Truitt about her role in the production.