Sidney Poitier rose to stardom alongside the Civil Rights movement. In 1959, he was the first Black person the Academy nominated for Best Actor (for The Defiant Ones). In 1964, he took the Oscar home for Lilies of the Field. Before all that, however, Poitier faced one of those moments that makes or breaks you in a profound way. In 1955, during the McCarthy era, he was offered a big role in exchange for two things: he was asked to sign an oath of allegiance to America and to denounce the splendid Black activist and bass-baritone Paul Robeson, who’d made an American anthem of “Ol’ Man River.” Written by Ryan Calais Cameron, Retrograde dramatizes the stalking of Poitier’s soul. Amit Sharma directs the show, which is receiving raves. —Laura Jacobs