A Soldier's Play
A Soldier's Play
Closed 1h 30m NYC: East Village
86% 29 reviews
86%
(29 Ratings)
Positive
97%
Mixed
0%
Negative
3%
Members say
Great acting, Absorbing, Relevant, Thought-provoking, Riveting

About the Show

Negro Ensemble Company remounts their production of  Charles Fuller's 1981 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama set at a segregated Louisiana Army base during World War II.

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Critic Reviews (8)

Theater Pizzazz
February 24th, 2018

"The noble revival that resonates powerfully on several levels...A gripping mystery story...Weldon has assembled a dedicated cast of twelve...they shine as an ensemble...Fuller writes about racism and man's capacity for cruelty and hatred...Fuller is asking us to look at ourselves long and hard in our own culture, and to question from whence this terrible capacity comes...Meanwhile, 'A Soldier's Play' will remain in repertoire...until we find the answers."
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TheaterScene.com
February 28th, 2018

"An involving murder mystery, but it was, and is, much more...As blazingly relevant today...About race and, at the same time, more than race...The audience can enjoy guessing who the culprit, or culprits, might be...Directed with much care...The only disappointing performances were those of the white officers...Fuller's writing is so strong that it can well withstand less than brilliant performances...Touches our most intimate hopes and terrors, make the play a classic in the true sense."
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TheaterScene.net
October 1st, 2017
For a previous production

"Gripping, and powerfully performed, this is a superb revival...Mr. Fuller weaves a highly suspenseful and racially charged murder mystery that justifiably was showered with theatrical accolades...Tucker’s towering performance as Waters is the muscle of this successful production...Weldon’s physical staging inventively, precisely, and aesthetically utilizes the large stage to faithfully realize the material...'A Soldier's Play' is a modern classic that has been flawlessly mounted."
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Front Row Center
October 3rd, 2017
For a previous production

"An uneven revival...The mood of this production is more melancholy and ghostly than urgent and vigorous…Tucker turns in a fine performance as the troubled Waters…Reuben has a handful of nice, subtle moments as Davenport, but saddled with the job of endless questioning and busy with way too much scribbling in his notebook, we rarely feel for him…Director Weldon finds the right theatricality...The barely there set is evidence of a nonprofit theater company in need of donations.”
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N
October 1st, 2017
For a previous production

“The heavy lifting here is done by an excellent cast, with actors doing double duty as both members of the ensemble and featured characters…At a time when the President of the United States can defend the white nationalists protesting the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee by saying they included ‘some very fine people,’ we need ‘A Soldier’s Play’ more than ever.”
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Times Square Chronicles
October 5th, 2017
For a previous production

"The production is done well, and the story is evocative with complex themes and characters...The actors are incredible. Their articulated 'Army' movement of the characters is theatrically compelling...Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this play is its relevance to our current sociopolitical climate...This masterful and stimulating play is a must-see."
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Village Voice
October 4th, 2017
For a previous production

“The sketchy scenery and wardrobe for director Charles Weldon’s rough-around-the-edges production makes plain the NEC’s shoestring budget. Fortunately, Fuller’s sharply written text, which is partly a detective story and partly a study in racism of different varieties, remains so compelling that these sparse visuals and some not-altogether-proficient acting by a twelve-member company scarcely diminish its power to engage an audience.”
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T
September 29th, 2017
For a previous production

“The whole cast does an outstanding job. Jimmy Gary Jr. touches your heart strings in one scene when he is put in prison. Chaz Reuben shines in his role especially as the narrator. Gil Tucker is so convincing in the role you want to smack him in the face for being so nasty and righteous. The play is worth seeing. It still has something to say. Go see it to find out. I felt the second act had more impact and fire on the audience.”
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