The 2026 theatre season is off with a bang – literally. Playcrafters Barn Theatre’s second production is Charles Fuller’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize winning A Soldier’s Play, directed by Renaud Haymon and is a sterling example of Playcrafters’ conscious outreach toward inclusion in their theatre.
Per Wikipedia: the play is set “in 1944 at a segregated Louisiana army base where a Black sergeant is murdered, prompting a Black captain to investigate and uncover deep-seated racial tensions, corruption, and complex issues of Black identity within the military and America. [It] functions as a murder mystery but is fundamentally a powerful exploration of racism, prejudice, and the search for meaning and self-worth in a biased society.”
Haymon has assembled an impressive cast that includes Antonio Stone as the detested Sergeant Walters. His performance is powerful and intense. Ashley Harris as the Black Captain Davenport, his rank being a rarity for the times, who is tasked with investigating the murder and walks a tightrope of balancing a demand for respect from white officers and conducting the investigation. Harris delivers a well nuanced performance that roots out the perpetrator from suspects that include possible KKK members, a disgruntled private, a racist lieutenant, and a lovable soldier who’s been severely harassed by Walters.
Commanding Officer, Captain Taylor, portrayed by Jim Driscoll, is a complex character that made me the most uncomfortable because, like him, I didn’t know any black people until I was in high school; his character embodies what I’ll call “passive racism” – he is a product of the times in which some people’s prejudice was not deliberate – it just was the norm. Davenport is the first Black officer Taylor has ever encountered in the army and because they are in the deep South he’s concerned Davenport will not be able to conduct an effective investigation and lobbies to have him removed.
The entire cast is a collection of highly talented men that I wish I could praise individually but the relentless tyrant of time prevents it. Trust me, they are a delight to watch.
Elle Winchester’s set design is really impressive. The barracks area is on the thrust with six very basic cots. The script employs flashbacks which are performed on the proscenium behind a scrim which lends a dreamlike illusion. I also loved the attention to detail in that the American flag displayed had only 48 stars. As an observation, I would have angled Captain Taylor’s desk which would open the site lines of the action behind the scrim.
The scene changes and light cues on opening night seemed a little slow, but those will undoubtedly be tightened up by next weekend.
This thought provoking, well-performed production deserves to be seen. Be forewarned. This production contains racial language, wartime violence, and intense thematic material reflective of its historical setting. There is also gunfire. I advise parental guidance. I believe children from “tweens” and older can benefit from this show’s authenticity and can handle it with proper preparation.
A Soldier’s Play continues at Playcrafters Barn Theatre, 4950 - 35th Avenue in Moline, Friday and Saturday May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 3 at 3:00 p.m.
I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.