New York ? Chad Lowe grew up surfing and acting along side his brother, Rob, who co-stars on TV’s “West Wing.”

Chad is best remembered for his role as a wisecracking teen on “Spencer” in the mid-1980s, and then for his portrayal of the HIV-positive Jesse McKenna in the 1990s series “Life Goes On,” which earned him an Emmy. Since then, he has appeared in a number of movies and TV productions. None, though, offered the acting challenge he found in off-Broadway’s “Burning Blue.”

Homosexuality in the military landed center stage in the DMW Greer play about an officer who discovers that his best friend and wing man is having an affair with a fellow officer.

“I felt like this was a love story between two friends more than anything,” Lowe, 34, said. “Yes, it’s set against the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy of the military. Yes, it’s set against these naval flyers. But ultimately I think it’s a very unique love story in that how does a heterosexual man express his love to his dearest childhood friend who comes out as being gay? How does someone come to terms with that and what does it mean to their relationship?”

Lowe, 34, portrayed Lt. Will Stephensen, who eventually comes to terms with his own jealousy and prejudices, and lets love and friendship prevail. The play, directed by John Hickok, recently closed at the Samuel Beckett Theatre.

“I think I’ve grown a little bit since I was last in a play,” said Lowe. “It’s a challenge every night an exploration. That’s exciting. I haven’t really had that experience before.” Lowe’s other stage appearances have been a 1990 WPA Theatre production in New York of Don Nigro’s “Grotesque Love Songs,” and “Huckleberry Finn” at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts.

Greer said that Lowe was a perfect match for the role of Stephensen. “Chad is incredibly honest,” he said. “He has the vulnerabilities I was looking for in the character, and they really come across on stage.”

Lowe says his portrayal of Stephensen speaks to his evolution as an actor and a person.

“The goal has always been to continue grow as a human being, as an artist and as a couple so that we are always challenging ourselves and inspiring one another,” he said, referring to his wife, Academy Award-winning actor Hilary Swank.