Review: In the historic comedy ‘Ben Butler,’ a important war of words

In funny moments like this one, it’s disconcerting to realize that Richard Strand’s 2014 play — at least in director Kasi Campbell’s nimble production — is a comedy that touches on slavery and the Civil War, some of the darkest chapters in America’s past. But the comic mode works, not only because of a few more somber beats but because Strand wrings humor from personality. The play bends an amused eye on legalistic thinking and the slipperiness of language but finds laughs chiefly in the idiosyncrasies of the protagonists, including Mallory (Theodore Sapp) and the drolly blustering title character, the Union Army’s major general Benjamin Butler (Stephen Patrick Martin).

Butler and Mallory were both historical figures. Butler was a New Hampshire-born lawyer turned soldier who hit on the idea of declaring escaped enslaved people as contraband, a rationale that would justify Union refusal to hand over such refugees to Confederates claiming ownership.

Strand’s version of Butler is a sherry-loving egotist whose lawyerly training shows when he quibbles about words — as when he browbeats his adjutant, Lieutenant Kelly (Yury Lomakin), over the difference between “astonish” and “surprise.” Initially convinced that offering sanctuary to escaped enslaved people is illegal, Butler reconsiders after conversations with Mallory, whose return is sought by Confederate Major John B. Cary (played by Steven Carpenter and also based on a historical figure).

Martin displays terrific comic timing as Butler, deftly channeling the general’s narcissism and exasperation, whether fussing with paperwork or pontificating over the sherry decanter. Scenic designer Megan Holden gives the character an atmospheric space to dominate, filled with 19th-century furniture and wooden crates.

Lomakin occasionally overdoes Lieutenant Kelly’s wide-eyed bungling, but Carpenter preens suitably in Confederate uniform. (Sigrid Johannesdottir designed the period costumes.) Sapp’s Mallory is vibrant, charming and suitably quirky, though a few more notes of reserve and gravitas might have helped emphasize that he and Butler are kindred souls — a key theme.

In a hilarious sequence pivoting on that theme, Mallory repeatedly tries to conclude one of their arguments with a pithy remark, not so much for the satisfaction of it but to infuriate Butler, who always wants to get in the last word. A priceless bit of comedy, the scene showcases Mallory’s ingenuity and insight. One often wishes the play had been named after him.

Ben Butler by Richard Strand. Directed by Kasi Campbell; lighting design, Marianne Meadows; sound, Neil McFadden. About 90 minutes. $50-$60. Through April 16 at the Undercroft Theatre of Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW. 202-900-8788. stageguild.org.