TS: I’m curious about his line: “They still hate you.” What do you think he wants? DAG: He wants to be accepted, but he’s come to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter what he does, it doesn’t matter how good he is at what he does. At the end of the day, all of that is bullshit because he realizes there’s nothing he can do to not be hated by the whites. Hatred, especially racial hatred, is illogical. Race is a concept that is outdated, yet we are all societally tethered to it. Waters realizes even after all of the hard work he’s done, he’s still going to be hated.


They had a hard time implementing the integration of Black troops in World War II. The Klan was in high gear all over the country. In the armed forces, they would give the Black soldiers the worst and most taxing shifts—cleaning out the latrines, loading ammunition on battleships and on planes. Many of those Black soldiers were killed because nobody else wanted to do those dangerous and backbreaking jobs. Yet these men were fighting for their equality and their dignity as men.


TS: What’s important to you when you’re collaborating on a role with a director? DAG: Robert Altman told me that a great director has the ability to get an actor to do everything the director wants and yet the actor will think it was all his own idea. I have to trust my director, and the first thing


I’ve said to quite a few people that have never directed before is, “Go ahead and direct me.” I have to be able to trust that if I’m going in a direction or making choices that aren’t working, the director will tell me, “That doesn’t work. Try this.” Or, “What you stopped doing was so powerful. Bring that back.” Someone who can push me in a direction that I can’t push myself. I like a director to point out things about the character I am playing that I can’t see.


TS: Do you have any advice for young people who say they want to act in the theatre? DAG: I would say, if you’re really passionate about acting, act. Anywhere and everywhere and as much and as often as you can. Because you need that stage time. In church, at school, community theatre, college. Take risks. Those roles that make me nervous and a little fearful and that I don’t know exactly how I can pull this off, I want to do those characters, because I’m challenging myself, I’m requiring myself to step up and throw caution to the wind.


TS: Is there a question you wish I had asked you? DAG: How have I remained so beautiful? I’ve been growing this beard for the last few years, and I just shaved it off to get ready for this role. And everyone on Instagram said, “No! No! Don’t shave it off!” But it’s hair. It’ll grow back.•


David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood in rehearsal for A Soldier's Play Photo by Jeremy Daniel


A SOLDIER'S PLAY UPSTAGE GUIDE 13


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