The artist Mark Rothko said, “Art to me is an anecdote of the spirit, and the only means of making concrete the purpose of its varied quickness and stillness.”
This October, Arkansans will be able to experience Rothko in two unique ways: First, as the artist at the Arkansas Arts Center’s exhibit “Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade,” on loan from the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.; and second, as a man in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s stunning theatrical performance “Red.”
Breathing life into this Tony Award-winning production is The Rep’s Producing Artistic Director Robert Hupp.
“‘Red’ touches an audience on several levels,” explains Hupp. “It is a play about creative genius; it explores the inner workings of a great mind. It is a play about generations and about passing the torch.”
Hupp continues, citing the relationship that unfolds during the play between Rothko and his fictional assistant, Ken. “‘Red’ is about the price that’s paid by those who seek to define and redefine our collective definition of what is art. In the play, Ken asks, ‘When is it done?’ to which Rothko replies, ‘When there’s tragedy in every brush stroke.’”
The play focuses on a time in the late 1950s when Rothko began working on a real-life commission for the Four Seasons Restaurant in Manhattan. Rothko — conflicted between his need to provide for his family and his feelings that excess leads to greed — fuels intense debates during the sessions. The actors engage in fierce, intelligential banter, and to the delight of the audience, bring to life the studio of Mark Rothko. For those following any of the modern retro-inspired dramas on television, such as “Mad Men,” you will recognize the Rothko style as well as the stirring in the consciousness of the time.
“There is a wealth of anti-hero dramas currently ablaze in popular culture: ‘House of Cards,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Boardwalk Empire’ … “‘Red’ is certainly in that mold: Rothko is egocentric, single-minded, obsessed with perfection and his legacy. But he is also empathetic,” explains Hupp. “Seeing himself in his young assistant, he forces the young man to confront his past and gather the aesthetic tools he needs to make his way as an artist. Exacting and uncompromising, Rothko challenges the young artist to find his own voice.”
While the name Rothko may not have been a part of everyone’s everyday conscious, his works surely have. The compositions are categorized as abstract, springing out of the Cubist movement. The canvases are not stark, but rather showcase layers of emotion with each brush stroke: bold reds, geometric shapes and streaks of color literally bleeding one into the other. Rothko specially designed his paint to be fast drying so he could layer quickly and work in the moment. Groundbreaking in its day, Rothko’s masterpieces fetch in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and the influence of his work is still being felt.
“I can’t remember when I first experienced Mark Rothko’s work. It was likely in the early ’80s when I moved to New York to attend acting school,” recalls Hupp. “I bought a copy of a Rothko and hung it in the living room. I am fascinated by his treatment of color, of the movement of his work.” Like the movement felt when viewing a Rothko painting, “Red” is alive with energy.
“‘Red’ is powerfully theatrical and, in the words of my mentor Eve Adamson, demands to live on a stage. What does that mean? Well, that means that the idea — the conflict — in the play is most creatively brought to light in that darkened space inhabited by actors and audience,” Hupp says. “Some stories are best told through other media, like film, where the director, the cinematographer and the film editor can weave a riveting story through the tools of their craft. ‘Red’ is hot, the character of Rothko is larger than life and his passion spills across the stage. It is immediate and requires an audience to complete the equation. These plays with big ideas that challenge our assumptions attract me as a director. The unique partnership opportunities afforded by the Arts Center’s exhibit sealed the deal.”
“I honestly don’t know whether I’d see the play and then the exhibit, or vice versa,” he says. “I guess I won’t know the answer to that question until October 24. But our partnership with the Arts Center provides our community with a one-of-a-kind experience to walk all the way around an American master.”
Hupp adds that there will be a partnership between The Rep and the AAC in which you can purchase discounted tickets to jointly experience “Red” and the art exhibit. Plus, Hupp continues, “Since the play is relatively short, Executive Director of the AAC Todd Herman and I, along with the cast, will conduct informal, post-performance salons in Fosters’ Lounge at The Rep on selected evenings, and we’ll provide dramaturgical materials that will enhance the audience experience.”
It is nearly impossible to write about The Rep without ticking off a list of accolades. “By national standards we are a small operation. But we pour our resources into the work, we encourage collaboration and we have a resident team of designers and craftsmen, led by Mike Nichols and Rafael Castanera, who have gained a national status for excellence,” Hupp says.
Case in point, the re-invented version of “Ring of Fire: The Johnny Cash Story.” Hupp says it was a flop on Broadway, but The Rep’s re-imagined version was successful in regional theatres across the country.
Last season’s world premiere of the musical “Treasure Island” opened doors, and The Rep was approached by the creators of a new musical based on the popular book, “Because of Winn Dixie.” “This is a Broadway-bound premiere featuring a score by Tony and Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik (“Spring Awakening”) and a book by Tony nominee Nell Benjamin (author of “Legally Blonde, The Musical”) and featuring, along with some fine human actors, a canine cast under the supervision of Tony winner Bill Berloni,” says Hupp. “More and more, theatre artists of national stature are approaching us about creating work in Little Rock; an intimate theatre with a reputation for integrity and excellence, realized under the radar screen of the national press, and created for a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere is a powerful draw. Right now, this is a win-win experience for The Rep and our audience.”
“Red”
Oct. 23-Nov. 10
The Rep
“Mark Rothko in the 1940s: The Decisive Decade”
Oct. 25, 2013-Feb. 9, 2014
Arkansas Arts Center
The Rep’s Robert Hupp embraces unique ways of bringing performances to life, like collaborating with the Arkansas Arts Center on “Red.”
The Rep’s Robert Hupp embraces unique ways of bringing performances to life, like collaborating with the Arkansas Arts Center on “Red.”