I'm Rebecca Levoy, and this is You Can't Make This Up.

You Can't Make This Up is the podcast where we uncover the true stories behind your favorite Netflix documentaries and films.

On today's episode, we take a closer look at the Netflix film, The Piano Lesson.

Bernice ain't going to sell that piano because her daddy died over it.

All that's in the past. If my daddy had seen where he could have traded that piano, and for some land of his own, we'll be sitting up here now. We spent this whole lot farm with somebody else's land. I ain't going to do that. A battle is brewing inside the Charles household. At the center, stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two

siblings apart. On one side, a brother plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other,

a sister will go to any lengths to hold on to the sole vestige of the family's heritage.

Their uncle tries to mediate, but even he can't hold back the ghosts of the past.

On this episode, we'll turn things over to Jasmine Hughes, host of Netflix's The Piano Lesson,

The Official Podcast, for a behind-the-scenes view of Malcolm Washington's adaptation of the August

Wilson play. In each episode, Jasmine looks at the making of the film, talks to actors like

Samuel L. Jackson and Danielle Deadweiler, discusses Wilson's plays about the Black American

experience in the 20th century, and how the youngest of four were the family archivist.

It's true.

So how did this role give you a way into the August Wilson story?

So for one, it's a self-appointed title.

I don't know if anybody else would agree with it.

The baby of the family tends to do that.

Yeah, you got to stand out.

You know, you got to stand out in some way.

But I just became super, super interested in our family line.

I think maybe because I was the youngest, I had the least amount of experience

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