Actor Philip Callen (above), who for years has divided his time between Minneapolis and Manhattan, is getting strong notices in New York for his role in "Honky," a new Greg Kalleres play.

Callen stars as a shoe company president who takes an anti-racism pill. Callen co-stars in "Honky" with Anthony Gaskins. The play is up off-Broadway at UrbanStages.

Callen returns regularly to the Twin Cities at the holidays for "It's a Wonderful Life" radio play. He also has acted at the Guthrie, the History Theatre and the Minnesota Jewish Theater Company.

The playwright penned a provocative, searching piece about one of the premises of the play. The essay asks if there is an epithet directed against whites that has the potency of the N-word.