THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200264
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HENRY EDGAR, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Willett Hall will pay tribute Saturday to an overlooked part of American history with its next production of the Storybook Theatre series - the world premiere tour of Theatre IV's musical ``Buffalo Soldier.''
The Buffalo Soldiers were the segregated African-American soldiers serving in the U.S.Army, troops whose mission was to defend white settlers from Indian uprisings and keep order on the Western frontier.
The Buffalo Soldiers, legend says, originally were named by the Indians because of the buffalo hides they wore to keep warm in the winter and because of their bravery. The Buffalo Soldiers continued to serve through the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War.
Theatre IV's story is told through the eyes of Jones Morgan, the country's oldest living Buffalo Soldier. The son of freed slaves, Morgan became a Buffalo Soldier in 1898 when he was 15. (He was honored by President Bush at the White House in 1992.)
The play was written by Bruce Miller based on a series of interviews in Richmond, where he was living in 1990. The story is a fictionalized biography in which the present-day Morgan tries to tell his story but no one believes him.
Miller also wrote lyrics for the songs, the music by Stu Gardner.
During the first years of fighting the Indian Wars, 18 Buffalo Soldiers were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for Gallantry. The four regiments continued to serve with distinction until segregation in the military ended when President Truman signed an executive order ending the practice in 1948.
The soldiers seemed forgotten until Army Gen. Colin Powell spearheaded a project to create the Buffalo Soldier Monument in 1982. On July 25, 1992, Jones Morgan attended the ceremony unveiling the monument. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
When: 11 a.m., Saturday
Where: Willett Hall
Cost: $4 for children and $5.50 for adults.
For information: 393-5144.
by CNB