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Video: A SOLDIER'S PLAY Arrives in LA
May 17, 2024
The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play has arrived in LA! In this video, watch as the company walks the red carpet on opening night.
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0:00
Yeah, I directed this play off Broadway
0:02
The great Todd Haymes asked me to do it a couple of years ago
0:06
right before the pandemic. And it was the first time the play had reached Broadway with Blair Underwood and David Alan Greer
0:13
And it won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play
0:17
And then soon thereafter, I was asked to do the tour. Hence, this tour with Norm Lewis and Eugene Lee
0:24
The play really works well with audiences. You know, when Charles Fuller wrote this
0:29
it was already a history play. He wrote it in 1982, about 1941
0:34
And then 40 years later, we did it on Broadway, you know, about the 40 years before that
0:39
and the 40 years before that. And now here we are four years after that
0:44
trying to see what does this have to do with us now
0:47
So I like to look at the play as taking 1941 and running it into 2023 to create
0:55
a fantastical place called now. This play, it's wonderful, you know, to wade through this play again for a new audience
1:02
because that's what this revival is. It's a reimagining of the play for today's audience
1:08
40 years later, if you know what I mean. And that's been wonderful
1:11
because the truth about this play still resonates. And that's what's great about it
1:15
You know, we did a play 40 years ago about something that happened 40 years before that
1:21
And it's still the truth 80 years later. So that kind of stuff is fun to do
1:26
The response has been recognition, familiarity. The response has been sadness. It's been, they've run the gamut of emotions
1:35
from watching the play. Yeah, it's been rich. Yeah, yeah, we, it's funny
1:39
because we came into this very intently, intensely, and we learned the show within two and a half weeks
1:46
and that we were in front of an audience. And so it's been like, we've gone through the fire together
1:51
So we've grown really, really close. For me, I'm working with Eugene Lee
1:55
who was in the original company. So there's that dynamic and him bringing in
1:59
a lot of that energy and knowledge and wealth of information. But then I also am working with people
2:05
who are much younger than we are and being able to see through their eyes
2:10
what this is all about. And just the strength and the camaraderie and the brotherhood and the fraternity that we all share
2:16
it's shown on that stage. Well, I think it's actually, it's just as pertinent as ever
2:20
because all the issues that are in it are ones that are happening still today, continuously
2:25
And I think that's the reason why it's such an important play now. Even though it was written in the early 80s
2:31
and set even then, 40 years back, it's now, we are 80 years removed
2:37
from the time it was written. But all those issues are still prevalent today
2:41
in American society. So it's very important, yeah. Well, I'll just say, we all love each other very much
2:47
In the beginning, we were, at five minutes to places, we all hug each other and give a pat on the back
2:53
We're all psyching each other up to go there, because without that trust
2:57
we wouldn't be able to go to the deep, dark, weird places that we need to in order to honor Fuller's story
3:02
to its full extent and be able to transfer that to the audience
3:05
And so it's been wonderful to be able to do that and have that, that level of trust with people
3:10
that we can go there and they know it's, that's how it was written
3:14
And in fact, I'm honoring it better by doing so. Because history can't repeat itself
3:19
We can't make history repeat itself. Theater has a way of telling important stories
3:23
and they have ways of warning us about what's gonna happen if we don't listen to these stories
3:28
What's gonna happen if we don't pay attention? And art has a way of making us think differently
3:34
And it is a way of triggering people's emotions that make us feel certain things
3:38
to make us not want to push forward with the bad things in life
3:42
And I think that this is such an important part of, especially American history, it's about service, it's about the military
3:47
it's about who we are as people. So being a part of watching it unfold
3:52
is so exciting to me. I love, we have so much great theater here in Los Angeles
4:00
People don't know it, they say they don't know it, but everyone's always going out
4:05
You've got CTG, you've got Pasadena Playhouse has just won a Tony, you've got
4:10
I mean I could go on and on. We have, and lots of little small, lovely theaters
4:14
Playwrights Arena, just wonderful theater. And here in Los Angeles. So, you know, if you're not in New York
4:25
come out to Los Angeles and see some theater. I feel like it's cool to see
4:30
this whole soldier vibe on stage. I really wanna see what they do with the story
4:34
And obviously Norm Lewis is iconic. So excited to see that. It's always a great night for theater here
4:40
I think it's a great moment for LA. And yeah, I think this show is just gonna be cool
4:45
It's a different show for CTG LA, so. No, I think this play, people will be surprised
4:50
with this play because it actually, it makes you laugh. And it's musical in a way, and it's profound dramatically
4:58
And it's definitely relatable. It's been great. It really has been great because like you said
5:05
I'm known mostly for musicals, but this is my second play ever, you know, professionally
5:10
And what I would say also is that most of the non-musical things have been television and film
5:15
So to be in front of an audience, doing something non-musical for me has been
5:20
it's a different comfort zone. And, but I'm blessed to be with this cast
5:24
because we rely on each other and it's been wonderful. I can't wait to kind of just share this
5:29
with the LA audiences
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