Humor and history—that’s the formula to success within Richard Strand’s engaging Ben Butler. As the play opens, a Civil War general has one of his worst days yet in his new office. He’s a lawyer who has been recruited as a Union general and he’s barely had a month with Fort Monroe, Virginia under his command. Even some of his crates haven’t been unpacked.
His West Point-educated lieutenant, (Chase Stoeger) is none-too-bright but follows commands like an over-eager puppy. Oh, and a trio of runaway male slaves have just appeared at the fort’s gates seeking asylum. Ben Butler is based on a real moment of American history, with voices that still ring true today. Who is truly free? Certainly not the slaves, but neither is General Butler, who must follow a lamentable law that has yet-to-be overturned by the upcoming battles between the north and the south. Still, Butler comes up with an idea that keeps the slaves in the fort until the end of the war.
Milwaukee actor Drew Brhel is an excellent choice to play General Butler. He is a compilation of opposites, both authoritarian and hesitant, brash and befuddled. He is a man who enjoys a good glass of sherry, which serves many purposes during the play. For instance, it takes the edge off some of the problems that confront him.
Early in the play, he is insulted by the notion that a slave (Marques Causey) demands—yes, demands!—an audience with him. Although his faithful lieutenant has already told him that this slave is a troublemaker, General Butler reluctantly agrees to see him. The initial exchange between the general and the slave, one Shephard Mallory, is primed for comedy. Causey bobs and weaves like a prizefighter between being subservient and militant. This is a tightrope for a very talented actor, which Causey turns out to be. He implores the general to find a way around the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, which forces a found slave to be returned to his master. After a delicious round of back-and-forth dialogue, the general agrees to see what he can do. The fact that the general is genuinely astonished at Causey’s well-reasoned remarks is something that resonates today. Rounding out the cast is David Sapiro as a confederate major who enters Fort Monroe in order to round up the runaway slaves and return them to their master. It’s implied that the slaves will be whipped and perhaps even die at the owner’s hands. With the fate of the slaves’ lives in their hands, the dialogue between major and general reaches a fever pitch. Finally, the general, looking triumphant, agrees to release the slaves under the one condition that the confederate major will never agree to. Sapiro plays the “bad guy” with the dignity and composure one would expect from someone with his background. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre sets this play in the opulent Cabot Theatre. Lisa Schlenker’s set of Fort Monroe may be minimal, but it contains the necessary key elements to make it a winner. Likewise, the frequently heard, distant shouting of commands and soldiers’ footsteps (sound design by Chris Guse) help to transport the audience to a fort in 1861 Virginia.
Ben Butler has it all: part historical drama, part biography and part comedy. Prospective patrons should definitely beat a path to the box office for this unusual but highly entertaining play.
