Interview: Tarik Lowe in A SOLDIER'S PLAY at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

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.

A Soldier's Play, the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning thriller by Charles Fuller, has rocketed back into the spotlight, thanks to this 2020 Tony Award®-winning Best Revival from Roundabout Theatre Company. Broadway's Norm Lewis leads a powerhouse cast in the show The Chicago Tribune calls "a highly entertaining, strikingly taut drama that you don't want to end," directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon.

We chat with Tarik Lowe (Private First Class Melvin Peterson) about his character, the production, and being in Minnesota for the first time!

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How has touring and telling this story of A Soldier's Play been for you?

Although I've been acting for most of my life, this is my first play and obviously my first tour. To be able to present this level of impactful material to a live audience eight times a week is just phenomenal. Every night I feel a sense of magic before walking out onto the stage.

Why is this story important for audiences to see?

This story explores race on several levels. On one hand, it's 1944, in the Deep South. So, there's a very apparent racism but then it takes a look at a more ingrained, not-so-apparent racism that often exists amongst Black people. The insight it provides to the inner workings of bigotry resonates with audiences everywhere we go. It's rather brilliantly told in an entertaining, often comedic way. The story itself is a masterpiece. It stays with you long after the curtain call.

What is your favorite moment in the show?

My favorite moment occurs in the barracks. My character, PFC Peterson, poignantly challenges Waters, a Black tyrannical sergeant. In a moment where the sergeant is casting dispersions on his troops, he classifies the Black southerners as the lowest of the low. In a fit of clever rage, my character asks, "Where you from, England?" I love that moment of defiance.

What do you hope audiences take away when they see this performance?

I hope audiences are entertained into learning something about where we've come from and how we still have quite a ways to go. I want them to laugh, to weep, to question their preconceived notions about the America we love so dearly.

Have you been to Minnesota before? Any favorite places you're hoping to check out while you're here?

This is my first time in Minnesota. I have to check out the Mall of America and to be honest growing up I was a huge fan of the movie The Mighty Ducks, which took place in St. Paul. I'd like to see some sites from that film if possible.

Thank you, Tarik, for your time!

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