Waterworks Players’ production of “Red” was captivating, jarring and contemplative. The two actors, Jordan Whiley (Mark Rothko) and Elijah Logue (Ken), put on an incredible performance full of emotion and superb storytelling. The acting skills of Whiley and Logue, the direction and choices of Dr. Sarah Varela and the set design were the key elements that made the production a major success.
“Red,” which first premiered in 2009, was written by John Logan about Russian-American artist Mark Rothko. Set in the late 1950s in New York, Rothko has been commissioned with painting murals for the Four Seasons Restaurant. He hires a (fictional) assistant, Ken, to help him mix paint and build frames. While there, Ken challenges Rothko’s pretension and feelings on art, such as Rothko’s hatred of pop art from painters such as Andy Warhol.
I was astonished by the performances of Whiley and Logue. It was easy to understand and read every emotion that the two actors were expressing, while still deeply complex and thought-provoking. While the play is somewhat slow-paced, the actors make up for it with their captivating performances. It was hard to pull my eyes away from the stage.
There were two scenes that stand out to me. Whiley’s performance in an unexpected blow-up scene, where his character Rothko screams at Ken in a fit of rage for answering “red,” had me on the edge of my seat. Every single person in the audience jumped at the sudden outburst, which proves how well the scene was executed.
As for Logue, his performance in the scene where Ken talks about his parents’ death is what stood out to me. He perfectly displayed the signs of reliving trauma with his fidgeting, emotion and fear when staring at the dried red paint on his hands. Not only were their performances phenomenal, but so was their dedication — especially considering Whiley partially shaved his head for the play.
This play is remarkable because it balances between the theory and practice of art. While this play is an interesting concept that dives into the thoughts of Mark Rothko, I do believe that you have to be into art to be able to truly appreciate this play. “Red” definitely makes you think about how people interpret art and how people relate to different things when a piece is presented to them.
While much of the play is just about the concept of art, we also get a taste of what it is like to be an artist when Rothko and Ken put a large canvas together and paint it red. This is something we do not see happen often in theatre, witnessing the actors get covered in splatters of paint while the music picks up with their chaotic strokes.
The theme of tragedy was also consistently presented. The play is split into five scenes and tragedy, or the idea of something being “tragic,” was referenced in every single scene. The audience also gets to witness the emotional stages of being an artist: the curiosity, the anger, the process, the art block and the creativeness that come with every single piece.
One specific scene that stood out was when Rothko and Ken were discussing what the color red could represent. Ken lists things like red roses and apples — his answers are light hearted — while Rothko would list things like Satan and blood in the sink, and eventually, slitting your wrists. This line effectively foreshadows Rothko’s real-life fate.
While it is not explicitly mentioned in the play, Mark Rothko did die by suicide — specifically by slitting his wrists. At one point in the play, Mark says “when I kill myself” which also alludes to his future. While the play is serious in many aspects, there are also some funny moments, which help lighten the atmosphere without making the play a comedy.
Another part of the play that I enjoyed was how it begins and ends the same way, making the story feel almost like a loop.
It is hard to criticize a show that was so well done, but if I had to comment on anything — it would be Ken’s story. Knowing that Ken is a fictional character, unlike Rothko, makes the story of his parents' death feel initially disconnected to the plot. Though it gained purpose later through Rothko’s references, as he uses that trauma to emotionally impact Ken in other scenes.
The set design truly added to the effect of the play. The set was gorgeous, with so many little pieces displayed in the space. Also, finding out that many of the items were painted or created by the cast and crew made the set more meaningful. One thing that Rothko and Ken talk about in the play is the effects of low and high lighting. They mention how low lighting keeps the illusion and how bright lighting interrupts it. I think that this point is interesting, especially when noticing that the play was performed mostly in low lighting. The sound matched really well to each scene as well, which added a special touch. All of the actors and creative crew deserve considerable applause for their work.
Ken explains Rothko’s paintings to have both “chaos and order,” which I think is a perfect way to describe this play. I was genuinely impressed by every aspect — the acting, the set, the lighting, the sound and Varela’s direction. Everyone involved should be proud of their hard work, because you can tell a lot of heart went into this production.
With this being my first Waterworks production, the bar has been raised pretty high. I would rate this play a 4.5/5.
