(From L) William Connell as Captain Charles Taylor and Norm Lewis as Captain Richard Davenport the National Tour of “A Soldier’s Play.” Photo by Joan Marcus.
Roundabout’s 2020 Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Play is launching its national tour at the Kennedy Center this month. At the top of “A Soldier’s Play,” unseen men sing a melody that begins hauntingly, and ends rousingly, placing you in the mood for a show that is similarly emotionally stirring, and where there is more at play than meets the eye.
The reverie is interrupted with a bang, as we witness a uniformed black man shot and killed by an unseen assailant. An ensuing scene quickly establishes that we are in World War II, and the man that who was shot is Sergeant Waters (Eugene Lee), tasked with organizing one of the Louisiana army base’s company of black soldiers. The soldiers—who are waiting to ship out to Europe—chafe at being confined to their barracks due to the murder, as many are sure the local Klan is responsible. “We don’t know that he was lynched,” their commanding officer, Captain Charles Taylor declares defensively.
Justice arrives in the form of Captain Davenport, played with aplomb by Norm Lewis, every inch a hero. Introduced at the top of Derek McLane’s double-decker set, he enters in style, complete with gold, reflective sunglasses (costumes by Dede Ayite). “I’m a lawyer the segregated Armed Services couldn’t find a place for,” he declares.
…a show that is…emotionally stirring, where there is more at play than meets the eye.
Tasked to discover the identity of the murderer, he is unfazed by the open hostility he experiences from Captain Taylor (a flinty William Connell), including Taylor’s bewilderment at meeting a black officer for the first time. “The only Negroes I’ve ever known were subordinates,” Taylor offers as some kind of explanation.
Directed confidently by Kenny Leon, the choreography of the soldiers’ precise movements emphasizes how hierarchy is constantly reinforced—through marches and salutes—or disrupted, as when Davenport literally goes toe to toe with Taylor to fight for his investigation.
Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer-prize winning script allows the plot to thicken perfectly over the two acts, never losing momentum. The show weaves music throughout, especially as a way to show the camaraderie and shared sympathy among the black troops. Through Davenport’s investigations, he learns of C.J.,(Sheldon D. Brown), a gentle member of the company who sang and played the guitar. His songs drew the admiration of his fellow troops, but attracted the ire of Waters. The audience meets C.J. in flashbacks, as we see reenactments of the past through his interrogations of the soldiers.
Eugene Lee’s brilliant, brittle turn as Waters is captivating. He conveys the character’s duplicity through a chilly smile. “He was like two people,” Wilkie (Howard Overshown), one of the enlisted men, admits, and the second act gradually reveals Waters’ own terrible hidden agenda.
Davenport’s stalwart and straightforward pursuit of answers ends in a satisfying, though profoundly bittersweet, conclusion—the mystery may resolve, but the war does not. In uncovering the generational trauma of racism that is at the story’s core, the show seems to suggest that the Captain’s ability to find some truth delivers, if not justice, then at least one step forward.
Running time: Approximately two hours with one 15-minute intermission.
Advisory from the Kennedy Center: Recommended for ages 13 and up. The production uses smoke effects and gun shot effects, and uses strong language.
“A Soldier’s Play” runs through January 8, 2023 at the Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater, 700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566. For more information and tickets, click here .Masks are optional at the Kennedy Center. For more on their COVID safety policy, click here.
