This 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning thriller has rocketed back into the spotlight, thanks to this 2020 Tony Award®-winning Best Revival from Roundabout Theatre Company. “This is a play that deserves to be staged regularly all over America—though it’s hard to imagine that it will ever be done better than this. It keeps you guessing all the way to the final curtain” (The Wall Street Journal).
In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered. And a series of interrogations triggers a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America. Broadway’s Norm Lewis leads a powerhouse cast in the show Variety calls “a knock-your-socks-off-drama," directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon.
In addition to showcasing Lewis’ impressive abilities, the play also included a number of other outstanding performances. Sheldon Brown is one of those standouts. He portrays one of the central characters of the play, Pvt. C.J. Memphis, a harmless yet soft spoken, athletically gifted athlete. He’s at odds with Sgt. Vernon C. Waters due to his laid-back nature. Waters deems him unintelligent.
An observation for me is the relevancy of the storyline racism is still as prevalent today as it was during the time period in which A Soldier's Play was set. Major kudos to director, Kenny Leon, the cast of A Soldier's Play, and of course the playwright, the late Charles Fuller (who passed away last year) for reminding this audience that we still have a long way to go to knock down the door of racism, whether it is systemic or individualized.
1981 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2005 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2020 | Broadway |
Roundabout Theatre Company's Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2022 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
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