A Soldier's Play -- by Charles Fuller (1982)

Description
Charles Fuller, one of the few African-American playwrights to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, writes one of the most engaging, intense investigation of African-American identity in contemporary America through a murder-mystery. In the opening sequence, a black Captain of a military troupe is shot twice by an unrecognizable person. His last words are, "They'll still hate you! They still hate you . . . The still hate you!" (8) Fuller piques the curiosity of the audience immediately. Who is the "they"? Who is the "you"? What is the hate about? Why was the Captain shot? Why was the captain shot just twice?

And off Fuller goes to have a black lawyer investigate the murder through a series of interrogations with the all-black military troupe and a few white officers from another troupe.

Throughout the course of the interrogations, it becomes apparent that the Captain treated his officers harshly and was, therefore, widely despised.

Fuller's play tackles race relations not simply between white and black communities but within the black community itself. The play was made into a movie with many of the original actors. The title was changed to "A Soldier's Story. " Watch the trailer here.

Candid Reactions

• Whoa! Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson were in the original production? Interesting to think that one of Washington's first acting roles was in such a rich drama. 
• The setting already develops theme as the stage is supposed to evoke a courtroom. 
• How does a director and company orchestrate a "strong silence" (8)? How can you control the intensity of silence?
• What a rattling start!
• The discussion about the group's requirement to clean stables draws quick attention to the racial tension in the play. 
• The critique from the black soldiers that a black lawyer will be discredited in the south is sad, but probably legitimate at that time of history. 
• The segregationist attitude that white and black soldiers should be kept separate by Captain Taylor is at first shocking. 
• Dissonance is created by the black Captain Taylor who says, "Stop thinkin' like a n*****" (29). 
• These transitions are flawless. 
• Perhaps one of the funniest stage directions I have ever read: "makes a farting sound in retaliation" (35). As childish as this is, Fuller plots this action to help, pardon the pun, relieve tension. The content of the play is unbearably heavy without intermittent comic relief. 
• One of the soldiers asserts that there is an attitude that, "Anything you don't want to do, the colored troops will for you" (38). This becomes a rallying cry of the soldiers who agree that they are being marginalized. Taylor's response is jarring, once more: "I'm the colored man that don't like lazy, shiftless Negroes" (39). Fuller widens the canon for African-American characters by giving voice to individuals like Taylor. 
• That the team lost to a sanitation company is somehow poetically sad. 
• Some of this story reminds me of the Joseph story. Especially parallels between Memphis and Benjamin. 
• Taylor asserts, "The only thing that can move the race is power" (72). Here, Taylor echoes an ongoing debate. He amplifies the Washington vs. duBois debate. He resurfaces the MLK Jr. vs. Malcolm X debate. 
• I'm sure it is difficult to watch the white actors say, "But ou better get outta my face before I kill you" (81) to the black actors. 
• The plot is Doubt-like at times. 
• What empowerment is shown when Davenport declares, "This investigation is mine!" (85)
• The revelation at the end provides just the gut-drop feeling you wish to have at the end of a mystery. 
• The definition of justice is tricky. 
• Expert employment of symbolization as the glasses are cleaned in the final moments of the show. 
• Fuller writes that the story is "the Cain and Abel story of the weak men less split by the madness of race in America" (99). What a line!
• The desire for black authority is bold at the end of the play.     

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. Race Reflection
Fuller examines the roles of power and violence in the African-American community both in isolation and with other communities. Fuller addresses assimilation with a critical eye. His ability to generate discussion on the advancement of a population without that population using violence or contempt is challenging.

2. Narrative Structure 
The use of flashbacks is expert in the play. The flow of the work is incredible as Fuller seamlessly transitions from the present to the past. He orders the anecdotes thoughtfully so as to maintain the mystery of the work until the conclusion -- a feat not easily accomplished.

Classroom Implications
Although the dialogue can be crude, and the plot centers on a murder, I believe the text could work in a high school setting. I think students would be highly engaged in the murder mystery part of the play. I think the narrative structure could be examined to gauge how authors employ flashbacks to reveal character. Attitude and tone could be challenging focuses, but meaningful. Symbolism could be examined with slight ease. Lastly, the concept of reading a text through a lens could be taught with great success -- for the play is a social commentary, political commentary, psychological commentary, etc.

Personal Takeaway
One of the joys of reading a variety of plays is to see how playwrights have tackled a wide gamut of controversial or sensitive topics in unique manners.

Ranking 

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 7.5
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points	Devices somewhat enhance story (1)	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1.25)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters (1.75)	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity (1.75)	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping! (1.75)	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically