For eighty minutes we are grabbed by the hand to immerse in a deep dive into the seemingly bottomless pain and loss that is war— American war/s.
Playwright and actor Douglas Taurel enters with crisp military strides. Before his entry, we heard a continuous loop of barely intelligible drill sergeants summoning their charges to Yes SIR! compliance.
You too may love that Taurel starts the story of The American Soldier at the real-world beginning with the Declaration of Independence projected on the back wall— though for many of us this image will later come to haunt us as we ponder the mind-numbing statistics of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
We meet a puerile Boston boy who craves for his grandfather to share his exploits of battle during the French-Indian wars. His laconic grandfather spoke more about war by reveling in the earth of their farm between his fingers.
Shape shifter Taurel is both boy and grandfather, and so many more persona of war. He is the grieving father mourning his PSTD-ridden son’s suicide. He is the wife who doesn’t want her man to re-enlist. He is the resolute Union soldier with deep faith in his cause. We travel the world with Taurel-- to Iwo Jima and to the jungles of Vietnam where a more seasoned soldier offers us a joint to help us tune out the beast. Taurel’s reincarnation before us —as the soldiers in so many wars, the mothers, the wives, and more —let’s us meet war itself.
We come to face the uncomfortable truth that for some who re-enlist war is like the exciting mistress luring the titular soldier away from his loving wife and family. We get to share the pride in the bravery that civilians never see— the comrade who defused IEDs for his band of brothers as a daily feat.
Compelling projections on the back wall of helicopters and such, oldie time portraits of soldiers from other times, and sobering statistics effect scene changes. When the statistics of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars scroll by— they especially seeming to SHOUT. For example, we learn there are 1700 lost limbs as the segue to a one-armed Taurel stepping forward to deftly adjust his tie and button his shirt while he talks optimistically about the future.
New York Rep Joins Kennedy Center and Library of Congress
Many in the audience may have known that this particular performance was on Pearl Harbor Day. Upon reflection—during the decade of performances of this work in countless small theaters like New York Rep and bigger names like The Kennedy Center—isn’t it probable that there would always be an equivalent war milestone?
We read that 9/11 compelled Taurel to create this show. Each vignette that he has sewn together in The American Soldier combines into a vivid portrait of war. Like this writer, you might not be able to leave your take on today’s politics vis-a-vis the so-called Department of War at the door. So be it— Taurel’s work is a story worth telling and is well-told.
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:
Written, conceived and performed by Douglas Taurel
Scenic design by Josh Iacovelli, lighting design by Katy Atwell, sound design by Andy Evan Cohen, projection design by Josh Iacovelli and Andy Evan Cohen, and original direction by Padraic Lillis.
Click here to read more Picture This Post New York Rep stories.
WHEN:
December 2 -21, 2025
WHERE:
A.R.T./ New York Theatres
502 W. 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019
About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
