Love, loss, and healing, The Piano Teacher, written by Vancouver playwright Dorothy Dittrich, tells the incredibly beautiful story of the healing power of music.
On November 1, the Arts Club On Tour brings this especially moving play to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, where you will be swept up in a stunning story about the emotional paths we embark on, the people who come into our lives at important intervals and the life lessons we learn along the way.
The Piano Teacher follows the story of renowned concert pianist Erin, who after experiencing the loss of her husband, is unable to find solace in the music that once brought her so much joy. As she struggles to play the piano again, an unconventional piano teacher named Elaine gently reacquaints Erin with her instrument. Elaine brings change to Erin’s life, which invites new possibilities for the future and new friends.
“The Piano Teacher came to me as a small, intimate story about very big feelings and ideas: loss, love, healing, and art,” said playwright Dorothy Dittrich.
“I realized I wanted to explore the grief process—one of life’s most difficult passages and one that is not always easily shared. The notion of experiencing and moving through difficult feelings, rather than trying to conquer, overcome, or suppress, interested me as both a writer and a musician. Something about that process of moving through grief—with all its dissonance and confusion, its flow and resolution, struck me as distinctly musical.
“I believe in the healing power of music, I believe in the healing power of love and friendship, and I wanted to write about these beautiful human experiences woven in with the difficult.”
Dittrich’s beliefs shine through in The Piano Teacher. With a story that is filled with moments that remind us of the fleeting nature of life, the importance of human connection, and how important the healing power of art can be, it’s no surprise why this show was the recipient of the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award for Outstanding Original Script.
The Piano Teacher is a beautiful, graceful and incredibly moving piece of theatre, filled with a maturity and thoughtfulness that will leave you breathless.
The Piano Teacher is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on November 1, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets in Zone A are $45 for adults, $42 for seniors and $40 for youth, tickets in Zone B are $39, and tickets in Zone C are $29, and can be purchased at the Centre Box Office, online at www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469).
