A Soldier's Play

Davenport is the protagonist of the play. He is a rare Black officer who entered the army as a lawyer and has been sent by the colonel to investigate the murder of Sergeant Waters. He is the only character who directly addresses the audience.

Since he is highly qualified and educated, he has earned the rank of captain, but since he is Black, he isn’t allowed to have any post that commands white soldiers. Instead, the military sends him out to serve as a detective in criminal matters between Black soldiers. Davenport is confident and even-keeled, unfazed by the racism—subtle or blatant—that he has clearly come to expect when he enters army bases that operate under the segregation laws of the Jim Crow statutes.

Davenport has no trouble asserting his authority, even when he comes up against disrespect from Taylor, who is of equal rank but who is upset that Davenport is Black. The Black soldiers see Davenport as a symbol of progress, inspired by the sight of a Black officer at a high rank. When Davenport becomes frustrated with the limitations that are placed on his power to arrest and prosecute white soldiers, he finds the admiration of the men grating.