**** Recommended **** Unlike my husband, I’ve never been interested in books, movies or plays about the military. Honestly, I’ve always steered clear of them, so when I got the invitation to A Soldier’s Play, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. Obviously, I did go, and I’m so glad I did. A Soldier’s Play is one terrific play! It caught my attention immediately, and kept it! 4 Spotlights
Written in 1981 by Charles Fuller, A Soldier’s Play won the 1982 Pulitzer Price for Drama. The Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2020 revival directed by Kenny Leon won the Tony Award® for the Best Revival.
I learned a lot watching this play. A long time ago, I met and got to know someone who served with the Tuskegee Airmen. I learned a bit about his/their bravery in the face of prejudice, bigotry and segregation – but for some reason never equated that to the military as a whole. A failure on my part.
The play, set on a Louisiana Army base in 1944, opens with a shooting – a Black sergeant has been shot twice. Army command suspects a cover-up, so Captain Richard Davenport (Norm Lewis) is sent Louisiana to investigate.
In an aside to the audience, Captain Davenport says he’s a lawyer (which earned him the rank of Captain). He’s Black, so the Army didn’t want him practicing military law, so not knowing what to do with him, they assigned him to the Military Police.
His first contacts, Captain Charles Taylor (William Connell) and his aide, Corporal Ellis (Alex Michael Givens), are not exactly welcoming. In fact, Captain Taylor was condescending, disrespectful and hostile as he warned Davenport that he wasn’t going to get any cooperation in Louisiana. He went on to say that he could end up dead if he crossed the wrong people.
Beginning his investigation, Davenport interviewed the enlisted men who served under Sergeant Vernon C. Waters (Eugene Lee). As his interrogations continued, he had reason to suspect that two white officers might be implicated. When he confronted Captain Taylor about his suspicions, he learned that Taylor had suspected them but the base commander insisted he omit those suspicions from the report.
In interrogation, Captain Wilcox (Matthew Goodrich) and Lieutenant Byrd (Chattan Mayes Johnson) admitted that they had encountered the Sergeant who was falling-down drunk and confrontational. The Lieutenant further admitted that he had beaten and kicked the Sergeant, but that he was alive when they left him. Captain Taylor is ready to arrest them – because they had means, motive and opportunity, but Davenport stopped him because they had no proof.
As the interrogations continued, Davenport learned more about the men and their interactions with Sergeant Waters. Most of them played baseball in the Negro Leagues, so of course they were all sent to this base to play baseball. Waters was brought in to manage the team but he was rigid and unbending. Private James Wilkie, who Harris stripped of his rank of Sergeant, told Davenport that Waters was harsh with the men, but that he hated Private C. J. Memphis (Sheldon D. Brown), a man who was an outstanding center fielder, guitar player and blues singer.
One day, they’d played and won a game, but Waters assigned a work detail which was overruled when the Captain came to the barracks to congratulate them on the win. He hated C.J. so much he framed him, then arrested him with tragic consequences.
The men are: Corporal Bernard Cobb (Will Adams), Private Tony Smalls (Malik Esoj Childs), Private Louis Henson (Branden Davon Lindsay), and Private First-Class Melvin Peterson (Tarik Lowe).
Note: Masks are encouraged but not required.
A Soldier’s Play runs through April 16th at the CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe, Chicago. Running time is 1 hour, 50 minutes, with an intermission.
Performances are Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 pm; Wednesdays at 2:00 and 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00 pm; and Sundays at 2:00 pm with an additional performance on Sunday, April 9th at 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $35 - $105. FYI (800) 775-2000 or www.ticketmaster.com.