Though there are not many characters in The Piano Lesson, there are mentions of other characters and relationships which can be hard to keep straight. This picture map pairs modern actors with the characters to put names with faces and help you to understand their relationships. Credits are at the bottom.

 

 

 

CHARLES FAMILY
(characters pictured in black and white are mentioned in the play but not actually a part of its action,
parentheses indicate character married into Charles family)
 
Boy CharlesßàMama Esther
å
                          Willie Boyßà(Mama Berniece)                           
å                       
Daddy                             
â                                  
(Mama Ola)ßàBoy Charles                           Doaker                                        Wining Boy                                    
                                                                                                                                                  
å                                 æ                                                                                                                       
Boy Willie                                         Bernieceßà (Crawley)                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                        
â                                 
Maretha                                     
                                         

RELATIONSHIPS

BOY WILLIE
CHARLES

 

brother of
BERNIECE
CHARLES

 

friend of
LYMON
JACKSON

 

nephew of
DOAKER
CHARLES

 

 nephew of
WINING BOY CHARLES

 

 uncle of
MARETHA
 CHARLES


 		 almost-lover
of
GRACE


 

 

BERNIECE
CHARLES

 

 sister of
BOY WILLIE
CHARLES


 		 mother of
MARETHA
 CHARLES


 		 friend,
potential wife of
AVERY BROWN


 		 niece/roommate
of DOAKER
CHARLES


 		 niece of
WINING BOY CHARLES


 

Other relationship notes:

- LYMON is a bit of a player. He kisses Boy Willie's sister Berniece, then picks up Boy Willie's former date, Grace.
- WINING BOY and BERNIECE do not get along.
- BOY WILLIE & BERNIECE are the namesakes of their paternal great-grandparents. The names of their paternal grandparents are not disclosed.

Other mentioned characters:
SUTTER - who owned the Charles family in slavery
Miss OPHELIA - Sutter's wife, for whom the carvings were initially made in the piano
JOEL NOLANDER - who traded the piano for Mama Berniece and her young son
 

"CAST": (in order of appearance from top of page down)
Morgan Freema, Boy Charles; Penny Johnson Jerald, Mama Esther; Anthony Anderson, Willie Boy; CCH Pounder, Mama Berniece; Alfre Woodard, Mama Ola; Danny Glover, Boy Charles; Bill Cosby, Doaker; Louis Gosset, Jr., Wining Boy; Samuel L. Jackson, Boy Willie; Regina King, Berniece; Ernie Hudson, Crawley; Ravon Symone, Maretha; Don Cheadle, Lymon; Megan Good, Grace; Djimon Hounsou, Avery.
Photos from IMDB & Yahoo.