Adaptation In August Wilson's The Piano Lesson

Successful Adaptation In August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” directed by Richard Lloyd When preparing a written drama for film, directors’ often make alterations in order to present a more realistic narrative. Richard Lloyd did just that when editing long time friend August Wilson’s play “The Piano Lesson.” Lloyd not only enhanced the impact of the play, but also added depth to the world in which it is set. In Wilson’s ephemeral “The Piano Lesson,” the screenplay successfully deviates from the stage script by altering the set design, sound, and character portrayal in order to further ingrain the message that we can not effectively build our futures by avoiding our heritage. Richards’s depiction of “The Piano Lesson” adds to the depth of the message by expanding the set design outside of the Charles’

In the text, Wilson simply states that characters “sense Sutter’s presence,” or that they hear “the sound of Sutter’s Ghost” (1268 & 1296). Unfortunately, these scenes lack impact because Wilson is unable to incorporate actual sound. Richards remedies this, by using suspenseful sound effects when Sutter’s ghost is sensed. For example, when Boy Willie and Lymon are attempting to move the piano, ominous music is played in the background; the pace of the music increases with each attempt to move the piano. As each character hears Sutter, they grow closer together. While the text is only able to include lyrics such as, “gonna leave Jackson, Mississippi and go to Memphis” the film is able to adapt these songs into scenes that showcase the family’s relationships (1267). Typically, the songs are sung when the family is together . Showing that regardless of the conflict that this family has, they still ultimately care for one another. As a result, the sound effects utilized in the film adaptation are an important component that results in the overall improvement of the