news | Tuesday July 5, 2022

The Piano Teacher has Arrived!

Dorothy Dittrich’s newest play The Piano Teacher has landed at Talonbooks! After the death of her husband and son, classical pianist Erin finds that grief has rendered her former instrument alien to her. In the midst of the viscous quagmire of loss, she meets unconventional piano teacher Elaine, and their bond changes the trajectory of their lives forever.

Erin’s sudden inability to perform music illustrates the insidious, far-reaching ways that pain takes shelter in our lives. From Act 1:

ERIN
My husband always said I had a flair for the lyrical, mercurial passages but that my hand was a delicate hand, not built for Beethoven, which I think has some truth to it. I mean … anyway, I don’t like him, so there you go.

ELAINE
I think Bartók can be every bit as demanding. When is the last time you played?

ERIN
That afternoon.

ELAINE
And you haven’t sat at the piano since?

ERIN
No.

Through the lens of classical music, The Piano Teacher examines ways we may gather ourselves after we have been shattered. Dorothy Dittrich turns a compassionate eye to the nature of grief, how our wounds interact interpersonally, and how this mutual sting calls attention to what can be rebuilt together. With musical dialogue and a cast it’s easy to root for, The Piano Teacher reminds readers to return to that which nourishes.

Pick up your copy here.