The American Soldier

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The American Soldier, written and performed by Douglas Taurel, is a solid evening of theater with important messages about war and the soldiers who fight them. Taurel is an excellent actor and he has done a nice job adapting the show from actual soldier’s letters and their accounts of their time in battle.

Instead of pre-show music, we are treated to the sounds of soldiers’ marching chants (and, at the performance I attended, one jerk catching up with DuoLingo). One audience member started chanting along with the recording; presumably this is a fellow soldier, a natural audience for this piece. (The excellent sound design is by Andy Evan Cohen.) The play begins with a drill sergeant (you’ll be forgiven if you are reminded of dozens of war movies), and quickly shifts to a revolutionary soldier (according to the script, 1774 and 1776. Projections would help set the place and time).

The next war to discuss is Vietnam. This is well-worn territory, with several excellent movies showing the horrors of that particular conflict. That said, Taurel offers something that is important to never forget – a mother who lost her child. “Dear Bill, I came to the wall again today, to see and TOUCH your name, and as I do, I wonder if anyone ever stops to realize that next to your name, on this BLACK WALL, is your mother’s HEART. A heart broken 15 years ago today, when you lost your LIFE in Vietnam.” You’d have to be made of stone not to be affected by this scene. Taurel nicely underplays the woman, never overemphasizing that he’s a man playing a female character. This is a credit to Taurel but also the director Padraic Lillis.

Next we’re back at training, with the company commander asking, “IS ANYBODY ANGRY AT RECRUIT SMITH FOR MAKING A MISTAKE??” (He says it in all caps, too.) A soldier speaks up: “YES SIR, I’m angry with recruit Recruit Smith. I don’t feel that we all should have to start all over again because of him.” Wrong answer: “Because I was made an example of, and I, and ONLY I had to do all the exercises all over again. And then I had to go to each recruit, state my name and tell them I was going to do the exercises, and when I finished, ask them if I had done them correctly.” It’s difficult not to think of the absurdity of the whole scenario, although obviously these young men (and women) are being trained to go overseas and fight battles to protect American interests (presumably). Taurel gets a physical workout in this scene, doing his exercises for every soldier in the company.

A World War II veteran has this to say: “The worst part of being back home is that I don’t want to touch my son. And now, I can’t hold him. I’m terrified of somehow infecting him with the EVIL I’ve seen and done. To grab my little boy with these same BLOODY hands. I feel as if he’ll feel the EVIL his father has done. I would somehow infect him, destroy his purity.” Try not to feel something for the soldier who is going through this trauma.

One quibble is when Taurel plays a Black man. It isn’t necessary to do the accent, and it’s a speed bump in an otherwise affecting evening.

Everything looks great; the set design is by Josh Iocavelli, the lighting by Andrew Patashnik. Sometimes the action is slowed by the (uncredited) costume changes that aren’t always necessary.

Taurel’s play would pair nicely with the excellent HBO documentary Wartorn: 1861-2010. Both deal with soldiers and their families, with the documentary being more focused on PTSD. Both are essential viewing for anyone concerned about the horrors of war.

The American Soldier (through December 21, 2025)

NewYorkRep

The Gural Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres, 502 W. 53^rd Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, visit https://www.newyorkrep.org/the-american-soldier

Running time: 90 minutes without an intermission