That’s the underlying conceit of August Wilson’s play The Piano Lesson, in which a piano passed down through generations of one Black family wields the power to unite that family, though it also threatens to drive them apart.

John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Erykah Badu and Corey Hawkins attend the premiere of Netflix's "The Piano Lesson" in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Denzel Washington, father of John David Washington,

Brooks starred alongside Washington in the 2022 Broadway production of 'The Piano Lesson' in the role of Berniece, which Deadwyler takes on in the upcoming film adaptation.