Glover now plays “Sam,” which is a different role from the one he performed in 1982, written and directed by Athol Fugard. (It was the role of “Willie” that brought him to national attention.)

Glover’s fabled credits over the past two decades (“Places in the Heart,” “The Color Purple,” the “Lethal Weapon” series, and “Beloved”) have only enriched this thematically timely reprise.