Red – Melbourne Theatre Co

Overview

In the 1950s, Rothko found himself living an artist's dream. He had been commissioned by Manhattan's elite for a series of paintings that would adorn the walls of the Four Seasons in the brand-new modernist masterpiece of glass and steel, the Seagram Building on Park Avenue. Rothko would be set up for life, limited by his own imagination. What he created was a violent statement against the richest of New York, as he vowed to create stomach-turning crimson canvases to "ruin the appetite of every son-of-a-bitch who eats there". By the end of the '50s, Rothko stormily reclaimed the paintings and returned the hefty cash.

How this series of events came to be, Rothko never said. The thought-provoking mystery and relationships between master and protege, art and commerce, artist and audience are all examined in Red, the award-winning play originally penned by John Logan. This production, by the Melbourne Theatre Company, is presented for audiences by the Queensland Theatre Company and stars the talents of Colin Friels and Tom Barton. A stellar opportunity to see history-making theatre.

Image by Jeff Busby.