"Dutch Masters" Off B'wy Written by Greg Keller and Directed by Andre Holland - A Masterful Production

"Dutch Master" is a masterful play written by Greg Keller and directed by Andre Holland.  It's a One Act, Two Actor play that harkens back to slavery though set in NYC in the summer of 1992.  Keller's skillful writing and directorial talent by Holland have created a work of racial inequality that resonates along the lines of  Toni Morrison's novel "The Bluest Eyes" (1970) and Gordon Parks' pictorial series "Segregation Story" (1956).   Keller's play, Morrison's novel & Parks photos all depict with gut-wrenching impact the marginalization of black-Americans and the prevailing advantaged life of white-Americans.  The seismic shift towards racial equality & social justice as portrayed in NYC in 1992 under Mayor Dinkins (NYC's 1st black mayor) remains unfulfilled.  Furthermore, the assumption of white supremacy is pervasive under privileged oblivion.  Erick (a tour-de-force performance by Ian Duff) is a young black man riding the NYC subway when he encounters Steve (Jake Horowitz) whose nose is embedded in a book.  What starts as a harmless and then irksome exchange initiated by Erick morphs into a distressing & volatile encounter that reveals a startling  picture beneath the haze of ignorance.  Steve succumbs to Erick's intimidating swagger and exits the subway to get high at Erick's place. We question Steve's sound judgement and feel his mounting trepidation which turns to piss in his pants terror.  Erick's blind encounter with Steven on the subway held a hidden back history of recognition & resignation that he rails with hostility against an innocuous and unknowing Steve.  The parallels and partitions between racial disparities are similar to those pronounced by Morrison & Parks.  The play paints a powerful & eloquent statement of our nation's challenges and lack of progress.  The director Holland is an accomplished film and Broadway actor.  He starred as Kevin in "Moonlight" & Andrew Young in "Selma".  The playwright Keller is also an actor.  The two connected while attending NYU's Grad Acting program.  Future collaborations & individual projects by these two talented artists should be reckoned noteworthy.