In 1944, a black Sergeant is murdered on a Louisiana Army base, and one tenacious investigator must race against his white leadership to unravel the crime before they unravel him. A hair-raising drama that painfully still reverberates today, the mystery of Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece has finally arrived on Broadway for the first time, directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon.
With three-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier and a commanding Blair Underwood leading a first-rate, 12-member cast, this Soldier's Play (adapted as A Soldier's Story for the 1984 film) moves with all the precision of a military cadence. The production is not without its missteps - a few self-conscious moments seem like gratuitous elbow jabs to make sure we understand the contemporary relevance - but director Kenny Leon drives the narrative with a solid feel for momentum.
Grier returns in the first Broadway production of 'A Soldier's Play,' which opened Tuesday at Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre - this time as the fearsome, foul-mouthed Sgt. Vernon Waters, who commands his all-black troops as if their every move was a reflection on the future of the race. It's a searing performance from an actor best known for his work in comedies like 'In Living Color' and 'The Carmichael Show.' And he's well-matched by Blair Underwood as the Howard Law School graduate captain who's dispatched to investigate the murder - and who soon learns that this wasn't the work of the locals. And that even the white troops who are none too pleased by the presence of black soldiers - or to get beaten bad by them on the baseball field - may not be the culprits he's quick to suspect.
| 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 |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | David Alan Grier |
| 2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Fight Choreography | Thomas Schall |
| 2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | A Soldier's Play |
| 2020 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | David Alan Grier |
| 2020 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Blair Underwood |
| 2020 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | A Soldier’s Play |
| 2020 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Kenny Leon |
| 2020 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | David Alan Grier |
| 2020 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | A Soldier's Play |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Play | Dede Ayite |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Kenny Leon |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Play | Allen Lee Hughes |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | David Alan Grier |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Blair Underwood |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Charles Fuller |
| 2020 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Play | Derek McLane |
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