In 1982, Charles Fuller’s drama “A Soldier’s Play” won the Pulitzer Prize following a successful run Off Broadway featuring an ensemble that included Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington.
It took almost 40 years for Fuller’s murder-in-the-military mystery to make its Broadway debut. COVID truncated that Tony Award-winning 2020 run, but this month, the Roundabout Theatre’s national tour of the production makes its way to Chicago.
Veteran actor Norm Lewis — who stars in the 1944-set tale of cold-blooded killing and racism on a Louisiana army base during World War II — has a theory about what took so long.
“If you look at many of Black shows — shows with primarily Black casts — that made it to Broadway, they were, well, they were mostly very entertaining. ‘Pearlie.’ ‘The Wiz.’ ‘Timbuktu.’ Obviously, there were exceptions. But I think many of the Black dramas with stronger elements — shows like ‘A Soldier’s Play’ — weren’t seen as commercial. Maybe people were scared that they wouldn’t sell. Or maybe they were scared of what they’d bring up.”
“A Soldier’s Play” brings up a lot. Lewis plays Captain Richard Davenport, deployed to the segregated Deep South to investigate the shooting death of black sergeant. But Fuller, who died in October, had more on his mind than a whodunnit.
“This is a play that deals with racism and self-loathing straight-on, as well as brotherhood and camaraderie. And it’s about the things we’ll truly fight for — and need to fight for — as a country, if we want to be a country that is respected,” Lewis said.
Captain Davenport’s arrival on base is about as welcome as a hostile invasion: His white supervisor flat-out tells Davenport that he’d have cancelled the entire investigation had anyone mentioned the lead investigating officer wasn’t white. The investigation gradually reveals a corps of Black soldiers deeply impacted by self-loathing and colorism — the inevitable impact of living in a culture where dark skin has been vilified, criminalized and dehumanized since the very birth of the nation.
“None of the men on base has ever seen anyone like Captain Davenport before,” Lewis said. “You can imagine what he probably went through to get to where he is. He’s probably been called some things. He’s probably endured some things physically too. He’s the first and only Black captain any of these men have ever seen.”
Lewis, 59, knows about breaking barriers. After roughly five years selling newspaper ads for the Orlando Sentinel by day and singing in church, at open mics and with the occasional wedding band during his off-hours, he was recruited to entertain on a cruise ship.
“I remember this producer said to me, look, you don’t want to be 85 years old thinking coulda, woulda, shoulda. So I thought what the heck. I never looked back. Things snowballed from there,” he said.
His list of career achievements and award nominations is as long as his 30-plus years career, spanning Broadway, Off Broadway, musicals, dramas, television, film, concerts and continents. In 2014, Lewis became the first black man on Broadway to play the title role in “The Phantom of the Opera.” He was also Broadway’s first Black Inspector Javert, the morally tortured anti-hero of “Les Miserables.” In 2012 he starred opposite Audra McDonald in “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.” He originated the role of King Triton in Disney’s stage version of “The Little Mermaid” in 2007.
His attitude on gaining accolades as “the first” has changed over time, he said.
“It’s great when you’re the first one to accomplish something — obviously, there’s pride in yourself, in the accomplishment. But what I’ve realized is it’s not really about me. It’s about somebody out there who looks like me, seeing that they could do this too. I’m representing a lot of people, whether anyone wants to believe that or not.
“There’s pressure with that. For example with ‘Phantom,’ I’m not someone who drinks a lot, but for that role, I gave it up entirely for the whole run. Not a drop. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to harm my voice. I wanted to be as perfect as I could be, because I kept thinking if I mess this up, the powers that be might think long and hard before they ever hire a Black Phantom again.”
His vocal prowess was invaluable for “A Soldier’s Play,” which director Kenny Leon has infused with music.
“It’s military cadences, prison songs, work songs,” Lewis said. “Kenny’s incorporated them into the [scene] transitions. The cast is all great singers, but some of them haven’t done shows where they’re singing eight times a week. So I’ll help with breath exercises or whatever. It’s fun.”
Lewis has done a few one-off concerts in Chicago previously, but “A Soldier’s Play” will mark his first time of any length here. At the top of his list for non-work hours: “Deep-dish pizza. I have to try that, obviously,” he said.
As for the play, it’s lost none of its import since its 1981 premiere, Lewis said. He defers to actor Eugene Lee, who plays the murdered Captain Vernon Waters in the tour and was a member of the original ensemble 42 years ago.
“Eugene says you can’t hate something you understand. Whether in terms of history or intellect or emotions — we hope they take more understanding with them.”
