Michael Downey is a gay, African American man, and his play revolves around his life-long journey with his father, Bill Downey. While “The War Shirt” centers around Michael’s evolving relationship with his father, it also traces the unfolding and maturation of his identity as a gay man. The work also embraces the influence of African American ancestors and past events on Downey’s present life and includes a Native American perspective that influenced his father’s course of action, particularly in his later life.