WE'RE BACK HERE WITH THE STAR OF "THE PIANO LESSON," AT THE ETHEL
BARRYMORE THEATRE ON BROADWAY, JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON.
"THE PIANO LESSON" IS ABOUT A FAMILY'S PRIZED FAMILY HEIRLOOM,
THE PIANO ITSELF. DO YOUR PARENTS-- YOUR PARENTS
DENZEL AND PAULETTE WASHINGTON, DOES THE WASHINGTON FAMILY HAVE
ANY PRIZED HEIRLOOMS, ANYTHING THEY HOLD ON TO?
>> THEY'VE DEFINITELY PASSED ON THE ART OF PRAYER AND, YOU KNOW,
SPIRITUALITY, AND I CERTAINLY INSERT IT IN EVERY ASPECT OF MY
LIFE. AND SOMETHING ALSO IS MY UNCLE--
MY MOTHER'S BROTHER-- SHE GOT WHEN HE PASSED WAY, SHE GOT HIS
CHAIN AND SHE GAVE IT TO ME. I'M WEARING THAT CHAIN ON THE
FRONT OF THE ""PLAYBILL"." YEAH, SO IT'S RIGHT THERE.
A LITTLE PIECE OF IT RIGHT THERE.
SO IT'S ALWAYS A REMINDER THAT HE'S ALWAYS WITH ME AND
SOMETHING THAT I CAN JUST HOLD ON TO AND SOMETHING VERY DEEP,
CLOSE TO MY HEART.
LIKE, YOUR PRAYER, YOUR PRAYER PRACTICE, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE
PRAYER YOU GO BACK TO, OR IS IT ALWAYS SORT OF IMPROVISATIONAL
WHEN YOU GO IN? >> I GOT SOME GO-TO SINCE I WAS,
LIKE, EIGHT YEARS OLD. GOD BLESS MOM, DAD, RITA, RICK,
OLIVIA, MALCOLM. >> Stephen: THERE'S NOTHING
WRONG THAT. >> THOSE ARE MY STRONG GO-TOES.
OTHER TIMES IT'S, YO,UN WHAT I NEED.
I NEED YOU." >> Stephen: IT'S LIKE WHY ARE
WE TAKING TIME TO LAY OUT ALL YOUR PROBLEMS?
HE KNOW. >> HE KNOWS.
YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS. YOU KNOW, SO, PLEASE.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOUR FAMILY IS NO STRANGER TO THE STAGE.
DID YOUR FOLKS GIVE YOU ANY ADVICE BEFORE YOU DID BROADWAY
FOR THE FIRST TIME? >> YES.
MY MOM ACTUALLY SHE'S SEEN IT I WOULD SAY 29 TIMES, INCLUDING
LAST NIGHT AND HAS NOTES FOR ME, STILL.
SHE TOOK ME TO DINNER. I THINK I'M DOING GREAT, "SO,
THOUGHTS." I WAS LIKE, OH, MAN.
>> Stephen: THESE ARE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
>> LITERALLY, THOUGH, SHE SAID THAT.
>> Stephen: "UPSTAGING SAMUEL."
>> "THE JUMP, JUST MAKE IT HIGHER."
BUT JUST GREAT-- THEY'RE GREAT SUPPORTIVE PARENTS.
MY FATHER TALKS ABOUT OWNING YOUR SPACE AND BELIEVING WHAT
YOU'RE SAYING MY MOTHER THE SAY WAM.
>> Stephen: I LOVE THAT "OWNING THE SPACE."
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOU? >> STANDING STRONG AND NOT BEING
AFRAID TO STAY STILL AND DELIVER THE LINES AND NOT BE AFRAID TO
MOVE AND TALK TO YOUR PARTNER, FINDING THE SPOT ON STAGE THAT
FEELS THE MOST COMFORTABLE AND NATURAL FOR THE CHARACTER TO BE
IN WHILE DELIVERING THE MONOLOGUE OR THE CONVERSATION.
>> Stephen: WHERE IS YOUR POWER SPOT?
>> I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT!
THE FAMILY SECRETS? >> YEAH, YEAH.
I'M TRYING TO MANIPULATE TO GET THIS PIANO FOR THE CHARACTER, SO
I CAN'T GIVE AWAY MY POWER SPOTS.
>> Stephen: THE FUNNY THING IS THE REASON I ASKED, WHEN I
FIRST STARTED THIS JOB, BEFORE IT WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED I WAS
GOING TO TAKE OVER FOR DAVE, WE CAME IN EARLY ON A SATURDAY
MORNING-- REMEMBER, TOM-- WE DIDN'T WANT TO BOTHER ANYBODY
AND CAME IN AT 8:00 A.M. SATURDAY MORNING,s AND WE KNEW
THE THEATER WOULD BE TRANSFORMED.
AND I WAS WONDERING WHERE I WANTED TO STAND ON STAGE TO DO
THE MONOLOGUE. I WALKED AROUND AND SAID, "COULD
YOU MOVE THIS PILE OF BOXES. I WANT TO SEE WHAT THAT FEELS
LIKE." AND THEY MOVED IT AND I SAID,
"YEAH,s THIS FEELS RIGHT." AND I LOOKED DOWN, AND UNDER MY
FEET IS THE RED DOT WHERE DAVE STOOD.
OF COURSE THIS IS WHERE YOU DO THE MONOLOGUE.
IT'S THE ONLY PLACE THAT FEELS GOOD.
AND IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN THE FEELING.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT DEEP.
I CAN'T SAY, "SAM STOOD HERE." THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID
ABOUT KNOWING WHEN IT DOES FEEL TRUTHFUL.
I KNOW THE GREAT STEVE HENDERSON, WHO IS A MENTOR TO
ME, WHO IS ON BROADWAY RIGHT NOW.
HE TOLD ME, DON'T GET IT RIGHT, GET IT TRUE.
INSTEAD OF TRYING TO AIM YOUR PERFORMANCE TRY TO BE AS
TRUTHFUL AS POSSIBLE AND SOMETIMES THERE ARE POSITIONS,
BODY POSITION, POSTURE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TELL THE BEST
TRUTH OF THE CHARACTER AT THE TIME.
AND IT VARIES DIFFERENT NIGHT. IT COULD BE DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHAT IS EXCITING ABOUT LIVE THEATER, JUST BE OPEN TO
THE CHANGE AND BEING ABLE TO DO WITH IT.
>> Stephen: JOHN DAVID, IT WAS LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. "THE PIANO LESSON" IS AT THE
ETHEL BARRYMORE THEATRE THROUGH JANUARY 29.
JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH TENNIS CHAMPION NAOMI OSAKA.