DETROIT, MI–It is often said that “education is the silver bullet,” to level the playing field between the haves and the have-nots. Given the propensity of fat-walleted families to get ne’erdowell problem off-spring into Ivy League schools, though, I think the axiom needs fine tuning.

And while we are at it, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were both college dropouts. But few of us are in their class for ingenuity and outright brilliance in coming up with ideas that would define an era.

For those trying to increase their odds of prosperity and social success, who don’t possess a special financially rewarding talent–like cyber brilliance or the ability to toss a football with accuracy and authority–a liberal arts education at a good college can mean the difference for many between climbing the tree and having it fall on you.

In Transfers, by Lucy Thurber, Clarence Matthews (Ural Grant) is a gay 20-year old, a thoughtful and literary focused African-American who has done two years at a community college in the Bronx. Cristofer Rodriguez (Marck Kiselevach) is a 20-year old self-conscious, socially awkward, highly caffeinated wrestler who was ranked #2 in the country for his weight and age class before he took off two years to look after his dying grandmother who raised him.

The two young men have made their way to an exclusive four-year liberal arts college in New England where they are interviewing for a full-scholarship along with a handful of other young, economically challenged students from two-year colleges. There are only two slots. The lads are in a hotel room with David DeSantos (David Moy) who coordinates the scholarship program as he tries to prepare them for their interviews the next day.

There is a curious dynamic between Clarence and Cristofer. They attended the same school, and come from the same neighborhood. Indeed, Clarence’s Aunt knew Cristofer’s grandmother. At first, they pretend to not know each other, but then it becomes clear that they know exactly who the other is…and now they find themselves in competition for the same scholarship.

Looming in the back of this story like a giant shadow on the stage is the question of affirmative action. Affirmative action has been a fixture of college admissions for decades, but the current conservative (Republican) Supreme Court majority aims to end it as we know it despite the right-wing, ideological specious arguments to do so.

Thurber’s story is quite compelling, creating a situation for us to consider the bigger issue. At times, Cristofer’s and Clarence’s monologues about their individual stories seem over-written. But the adult characters in the play help to distract us a bit from the over-obvious witness speeches about where they come from.

Geoffrey (Lynch Travis) is a well-schooled (Choate an Ivy League) professor with a love of Russian literature who seems to take a liking to Clarence, but we are left wondering if his ultimate recommendation on the two boys is driven by his being a stickler for test scores or his feelings about student athletes and gay students.

Rosie (Melissa Beckwith)is a hard-edged women’s rugby coach who seems to have a keener understanding of the boys’ plight and background than Geoffrey who is African-American. Ms. Beckwith has a welcome command of her role.

The central energy of the play is with Mr. Kiselevach, who has few social graces and comes across as a fidgety, angry, possibly infirmed (at one point he seems to have a “spell” in which he seems to be in pain and holding his head) young man who could easily be written off by interviewers for not being able to control himself in an academic setting. Mr. Grant’s Clarence is self-conscious on the whole, but compartmentally very confident in what he is about. The two conflicting personas make a lot of sense given his good grades, but iffy test scores.

It’s difficult to not root for both young men to get what they want. Watching them battle their own demons and baggage, and the system that favors the wealthy all at once also makes a caring person root for free college for everyone. Now, hat would  a field leveler…if we actually wabted the playing field to be level.

Directed by Kolton Bradley, Transfers should have you talking about the plot and the ending long after the show ends, and that is the sign of a successful play.