Lead actor Chinai Routté and director Paige Hernandez return to The Truth in This Art to illuminate Everyman Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.
Routté shares the transformative experience of portraying Berniece, the play’s powerful central character, and how her own life informs the role’s emotional depth. Hernandez opens up about the responsibility and honor of being one of the few women to direct an August Wilson work, reflecting on why this representation deeply matters in the American theater landscape.
Together, they reveal the enduring impact of The Piano Lesson—exploring its themes of family, memory, and legacy, and discussing how Wilson’s storytelling continues to spark dialogue and unity in Baltimore and beyond. Their conversation uncovers the creative process, the challenges, and the joys of bringing this essential story to the stage.
For Routté and Hernandez , The Truth in This Art is a space to share what it means to honor history, create change, and inspire community—one performance at a time.
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Experience the play’s impact at everymantheatre.org and follow @everymantheatre on Instagram for tickets, updates, and behind-the-scenes stories.
Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
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