Blue Door

The newest play from Tanya Barfield, at Playwrights Horizons (upstairs) is Blue Door.....the story of an African American mathematics professor struggling with his own inner demons and a sleepless night in which his ancestors visit him during his insomnia. The play features only two actors - one playing Lewis, the professor (Reg E Cathey) and the other (Andre Holland) conveys several of Lewis' ancestors - from the times of slavery to the present.

The show wraps up pretty nicely while conveying its main theme - Lewis finally realizes that he cannot separate his past and history from his present day self. All of the experiences his ancestors went through helped to shape the man he has become - no matter how assimilated into white society he may have become. There are some pretty touching moments - and a fantastic debut performance from Holland, who I read just recently graduated from NYU. Cathey seems mostly comfortable in his role but struggles to bring true emotion to some of the heavier scenes. The set is minimal, and the direction pretty basic, but overall it was a nice play with good perspective from the playwright.