A Review by Willie Caldwell
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues their 2025/26 season with a powerful interpretation of Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play. Premiering in 1981, the play is set up like a classic “whodunit” murder mystery blending drama and suspense while diving deep into internalized racism covered in military flair. The play insists the most dangerous enemy is sometimes the one wearing the same uniform, saluting the same flag, and carrying the same dreams.
A Soldier’s Play won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Drama which at the time was a historic recognition for a Black playwright dissecting racism from the inside out.
The Plot
Set on a segregated Louisiana Army Base in 1944, the shooting of Vernon Waters, A Black Sergeant in the US Army, exposes layers of racism, self-hatred, and conflicting ideas of Black manhood within an all-Black company and its white command.
As Captain Richard Davenport, a rare Black Army lawyer, interrogates soldiers and officers, the story unfolds through sharp, shifting flashbacks that reveal Waters as both victim and perpetrator whose contempt for Southern Black soldiers mirrors the white supremacy he claims to resist. Through Davenport’s ongoing investigation and the series of flashbacks it triggers, we come to know more about the personalities and stories of the all-Black company at the center of the controversy.
Fuller, an Army veteran and acclaimed American playwright, uses this investigation to probe how systemic racism seeps into personal identity and community relationships.
Key Performances
The production centers largely on Captain Richard Davenport (K.P. Powell) as he works to unravel the murder of Tech Sargent Vernon Waters (Geoffrey Warren Barnes II). Powell’s portrayal is sharp, quick witted, and subtly commands authority despite the color of his skin in a white dominated environment that is the WW2 military industrial complex. The story is propelled through the use of flashbacks that see Barnes’ portrayal of Tech Sargent Waters engaging an all black company of Army privates. Waters is the antagonist of the play which Barnes leans heavily into and makes finding sympathy or redeeming qualities of the character difficult to find. This creates an interesting conundrum where it is difficult to empathize with the character who is murdered in the opening scene of the play.
Captain Charles Taylor (Brent Vimtrup) represents the white leadership of this segregated army base and carries tensions throughout his performance as he works to exert dominance over Captain Davenport despite having the same rank. Louisiana in 1944 represents a wholly different social caste based on skin color. Powell and Vimtrup work to exchange the balance of power between their respective characters quite well.
A True Ensemble
The all-Black company ensemble cast includes Ranney as Private James Wilke, Jason Coffenberry as Corp Bernard Cobb, Montez Jenkins Copeland as Private CJ Memphis, Anthony T. Gross as Melvin Peterson, Sylvester Little Jr. as Corp Ellis, Malik Smith as Pvt Louis Henson, and Jay Wade as Pvt Tony Smalls. As a group, the all-Black company brings honest and vulnerable portrayals that create deeper and more meaningful connections with the audience. As the story unfolded, I found myself more drawn to the ensemble than to the central protagonist or antagonist.
Patrick Earl Philips as Lt Byrd and Cary Davenport as Capt Wilcox round out the cast as two obviously racist white soldiers who find themselves murder suspects as the case unfolds. The tension they create in a short amount of time is palpable.
Across the company, the acting is solid. At times, though, some performances lack the gravitas expected of high-ranking U.S. Army officers; a few moments intended to be powerful land a bit deflated due to vocal resonance, body posture, and occasional fidgeting.
Overall, the cast accomplishes what they set out to do, which is commendable given the weight and complexity of the play’s subject matter.
The Production
Under the direction of Christopher V. Edwards, the production puts forth considerable effort into capturing military structure, hierarchy, and strict codes of behavior. I was impressed by a full page in the program providing a closer look at military drill, saluting, and rank. CSC worked with Military Consultant, Keisha L. Kemper, to capture an authentic representation of the drill and ceremony that becomes so ingrained in military personnel.
Full disclosure, I come from a heavy military family, with one grandfather serving in the Army’s elite special forces known as the Green Berets and my other grandfather serving as the commandant of a prestigious military academy. My father, uncles, and several cousins all served in the armed forces, making drill and ceremony something I was introduced to at a very young age. I myself did not serve, choosing to go to acting school instead.
An Immersive Environment
The creative team took the assignment seriously, creating an immersive environment that utilized lighting, sound, and a backlit scrim to create the illusion. CSC’s thrust stage places the action front and center allowing the audience an up-close and personal look at the military way of life. Flashbacks are supported by sound cues and blue lighting, creating clear transitions between real time and moments of memory. The stage itself is transformed into an American flag that seamlessly extends from the proscenium to the thrust, serving as the constant backdrop of the play’s action. It is a powerful symbol.
Although the story is set in 1944, there are elements that feel more reminiscent of Vietnam rather than World War II. A few stylistic choices blurred eras and decades rather than drawing sharp distinctions. The inclusion of a particular pair of aviator sunglasses and the use of Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” during intermission suggested that the play could be set at almost any time, which can also be read as commentary on how far–or not far–we’ve come as a nation wrestling with these issues.
The creative team includes scenic design by Jon Savage, costume design by Nia Safarr Banks, lighting design by Jessica Drayton, assistant lighting design by Kassidy Schley, sound design by Derek G. Graham, properties by Moira Seger, fight director Christopher V. Edwards. Stage Manager is Danitza Piper and assistant stage manager Tessa Killen.
Overall the creative collaborations are highly effective and do justice to Fuller’s vision.
Final Thoughts
Military dramas aren’t for everyone. I personally questioned taking this assignment given my background in a military family and the current events that continue to unfold in Minneapolis and across the country.
At its core, A Soldier’s Play is about honor, truth, and the intrinsic and systemic racism that is ingrained in this country’s history. Written as a commentary on Black-on-Black racism, its deeper themes will land powerfully in today’s political climate. If you’re looking for an experience that prompts discussion, reflection, and personal self-examination, I wouldn’t miss this show.
Tickets
A Soldier’s Play runs Jan. 30th through Feb. 15th, 2026, at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Purchase tickets by calling the box office at 513-381-2273 or by visiting www.cincyshakes.com.
Run Time: 2 Hours, including intermission
Content Advisory: Contains simulated gunshots, strong language (including racial slurs), discussion of suicide, and adult situations.
