THE AMERICAN SOLDIER
"A relevant drama that left many in tears and asking why this play isn’t better known."
-Peter Marks, The Washington Post
SHOW INFO
December 2-21
A.R.T./New York Theatres
502 W 53rd St near 10th Ave
Written by Douglas Taurel
In 85 minutes, playwright and actor Douglas Taurel, performs 14 different characters affected by various wars, including men, women, and children. He exposes their scars with darkness and humor while transporting the audience to a dozen different wartime eras - from the sweltering jungles of Vietnam, to the freezing fields of Valley Forge. Taurel masterfully portrays the stories of those most deeply touched by the scourge of war, including a father in the wake of his veteran son's suicide, a soldier dealing with the loss of his limb, a wife and son coping with a deployed father's absence, a grieving mother remembering her son at the Vietnam Memorial Wall, a perilously shell-shocked World War II veteran, a female combat veteran sharing her her struggles with PTSD and experiences as woman on the front lines, and many more. Created through exhaustive research, actual letters sent from soldiers to their loved ones, and verbatim language lifted from countless interviews with veterans, the play is an intensely personal look at the humanity behind the specter of war. The American Soldier is decidedly not a political play but a profoundly human story - a piece of theater created to honor our veterans and their families and to deepen our collective understanding of their experiences.
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
DOUGLAS TAUREL recently portrayed Joe Petito in The Gabby Petito Story for Lifetime Movies opposite and under the direction of Thora Birch. On screen, other film credits include appearances in The Cobbler (starring Adam Sandler and Dustin Hoffman) and The Kindergarten Teacher (with Maggie Gyllenhaal), which premiered at Sundance and streaming on Netflix. His television work includes numerous television shows, and he can be heard as a featured voice actor in the popular video game Red Dead Redemption.
Taurel has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway productions at New York’s most respected venues - including Cherry Lane Theatre, 59E59 Theaters, Playwrights Horizons, Theatre for a New Audience to name a few.
As a writer, his play The American Soldier, a critically acclaimed solo show that has been nominated for the Amnesty International Award and has toured to over 34 cities across the United States. Highlights include three engagements at The Kennedy Center, performances at the Library of Congress, New York Federal Reserve and The Huffington Post called the play “flawless and powerful,” and it has been featuredin The Washington Post, The Washington Times, US Veterans Magazine, BroadwayWorld, Playbill, and many more.
The Library of Congress also commissioned him to create and write An American Soldier’s Journey Home, another one-man play commemorating the end of World War I and telling the story of the soldier Irving Greenwald of the famed Lost Battalion. Taurel also wrote, directed, and starred in the award-winning television series Landing Home, which earned Best Drama at the GI Film Festival and the Wings of Honor Festival, with Taurel receiving nominations for Best Actor and Best First-Time Director. The series is streaming on Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Tubi, Vudu, and Vimeo On Demand.
Born and raised in Houston to Colombian and Argentine parents, Taurel is fluent in Spanish and embraces both his Latin American and American heritage.
PRESS
BROADWAY BRIEFING, 12/19/25
Callboard – Sunday - 3:00 PM: CLOSING The American Soldier @ ART/New York
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MEDIUM
INTERVIEW FEATURE: “The American Soldier: A Performance That You Won’t Forget”
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EPOCH TIMES, 12/14/25
REVIEW: “‘The American Soldier’: Where Sorrow and Pride Walk Hand in Hand. In his one-man play, award-nominated actor and playwright Douglas Taurel transports audience members into the lives of soldiers and those who love them.”
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THEATRE BEYOND BROADWAY, 12/14/25
REVIEW: “The American Soldier”
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THEATERSCENE.NET, 12/11/25
REVIEW: “The American Soldier - A deeply personal evening that is essential viewing for anyone concerned about the horrors of war.”
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PICTURE THIS POST, 12/7/25
REVIEW: “New York Rep Presents THE AMERICAN SOLDIER Review — Bottomless Pain, Pangs of Pride”
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MEDIUM, 12/6/25
REVIEW: “The American Solider Is Not Political It Is Performance Art”
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WBAI PACIFICA RADIO 99.5FM, ANY SATURDAY, 12/6/25
RADIO PROMOTION: David Rothenberg continues his on-air ticket promotion of The American Soldier (promo at 0047:25 – 00:49:45)
LISTEN HERE
CITY GUIDE, THOUGHT GALLERY, 12/5/25
INCLUSION IN EVENTS E-NEWSLETTER ROUND-UP: “Thought Gallery, Discover Hundreds of Talks, Seminars, Readings & More”
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HOLLYWOOD SOAPBOX, 12/5/25
INTERVIEW FEATURE: “‘American Soldier’ honors the sacrifice of veterans”
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TIMES SQUARE CHRONICLES, 12/5/25
REVIEW & OPENING NIGHT COVERAGE: “The American Soldier: A One-Man Odyssey Through the Heart of War”
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BROADWAY BRIEFING, 12/4/25
EVENT LISTING: "All Board – Call Times - 7:30 PM: OPENING The American Soldier @ A.R.T./New York Theatres"
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THE ROUND TABLE, BROADWAY PODCAST NETWORK, 12/3/25
PODCAST INTERVIEW: “Douglas Taurel Talks “The American Soldier” — New NYC Run!”
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BROADWAY WORLD, 12/2/25
DECEMBER ROUNDUP: “Spotlight on Plays: December 2025”
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ROBIN HOOD RADIO, 12/2/25
Robin Hood Radio is a listener-supported, local public radio station operating under the call sign WHDD 1020AM and 91.9FM. It's affiliated with NPR and serves portions of Connecticut.
INCLUSION IN WEEKLY THEATER NEWS RADIO REPORT: “Stage Right…or Not with Michele Willens: A Prominent Death– December 2, 2025”
LISTEN HERE
THEATERSCENE.NET, 12/2/25
INTERVIEW FEATURE: “The American Soldier – An Interview with Douglas Taurel. Douglas Taurel brings veterans’ stories to life in The American Soldier, a gripping, award-winning solo performance.”
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BROADWAYWORLD, 12/1/25
INCLUSION IN ROUND-UP: “What's Closing Soon on Broadway & Off-Broadway: December 2025. Which shows close soon in NYC? We have the full list for December 2025!”
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NEW YORK THEATER, 12/1/25
INCLUSION IN MONTHLY ROUND-UP: “December 2025 NYC Theater Openings”
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TALKIN BROADWAY, 12/1/25
PRESS RELEASE POST: “Starting tomorrow, Dec. 2, NewYorkRep presents THE AMERICAN SOLDIER, 3-week Off-Bway engagement at A.R.T. / New York”
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THEATRICAL INDEX, 12/1/25
FIRST PREVIEW, OPENING AND FINAL PERFORMANCE INCLUDED IN MONTHLY CALENDAR: “December 2025”
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SAYS ME SAYS MOM, 11/30/25
INCLUSION IN EVENTS ROUND-UP: “Sunday Scoop Week of 11/30/25 What's Happening This Week and More…”
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WBAI PACIFICA RADIO 99.5FM, ANY SATURDAY, 11/29/25
LIVE RADIO INTERVIEW & TICKET PROMOTION: David Rothenberg continues his on-air ticket promotion of The American Soldier, and also launches the 2nd hour of his broadcast with a 23-minute interview with Doug (interview & promo at 01:04:13 – 01:26:40)
LISTEN HERE
CURTAIN CALL, WJFF RADIO CATSKILL, 90.5FM (NPR AFFILIATE), 11/28/25
INTERVIEW SEGMENT: "The American Soldier …This week on Curtain Call, Tom Candela sits down with actor and playwright Douglas Taurel, the creator of the acclaimed one-man show The American Soldier. In this moving episode, Tom and Douglas explore the real wartime letters and unforgettable characters that bring to life the sacrifices of veterans and the families who love"
LISTEN HERE
STRAUS NEWSPAPERS, 11/26/25
INTERVIEW FEATURE: “DouglasTaurel’s ‘The American Soldier,’ Bows Off Broadway. After a 34 city US tour, Douglas Taurel is bringing his award-winning show, in which he plays 14 different characters, to an exclusive three-week engagement in New York at the A.R.T from Dec. 4 through Dec. 21.”
November 26, the story was featured as the lead story on the home pages for all Manhattan-based STRAUS NEWSPAPERS: CHELSEA NEWS, OUR TOWN, OUR TOWN DOWNTOWN and WEST SIDE SPIRIT.
WBAI PACIFICA RADIO 99.5FM, ANY SATURDAY, 11/22/25
RADIO PROMOTION: David Rothenberg continues his on-air ticket promotion of The American Soldier (promo at 00:47:40 – 00:49:00, and 01:46:46 – 01:48:11)
LISTEN HERE
ROBIN HOOD RADIO, 11/19/25
Robin Hood Radio is a listener-supported, local public radio station operating under the call sign WHDD 1020AM and 91.9FM. It's affiliated with NPR and serves portions of Connecticut.
INCLUSION IN WEEKLY THEATER NEWS RADIO REPORT: “Stage Right…or Not with Michele Willens: Seven Shows as Promised – November 18, 2025”
LISTEN HERE
SAVOIR FAIRE MAGAZINE, 11/18/25
AUDIO PODCAST INTERVIEW: “Episode 188: Interview With Douglas Taurel”
LISTEN HERE