Act 1 Summary

A Soldier's Play is a two-act play about the investigation of a murder at Fort Neal army barracks near Tynin, Louisiana, in 1944. The protagonist of the story is Captain Davidson, a black officer, in charge of the proceedings to determine who has killed a Negro officer, Sergeant Waters. The play not only looks at the facts of the case but also addresses the topic of racism in the American South in the mid 1940's.

Lighting is an important element in this play as it is used to highlight locations as well as set the mood for scenes occurring from memory.

As the play opens, Sergeant Waters, a small Negro man, is crawling on hands and knees, obviously drunk and trying to stand. As he yells out "they'll still hate you," a man appears in the shadows, pulls a gun and shoots Waters. A...