Playwright John Logan has written an intelligent, sometimes humorous, and a most thought-provoking play about Mark Rothko, an intellectual artist driven by his passion to portray the human condition as he sees it, using giant canvases and shades of red paint often mingled with black. Rothko’s reasons for these choices are the crux of the play.


Driver’s casting of Michael Hurst as an aging, irascible Rothko who has grown impatient of the upper class’ view of art as so-decorative-and-matches-the-sofa-perfectly contrasts brilliantly with Elliot Christensen-Yule’s portrayal as Ken – the eager young assistant whose ideas and life experiences are naturally concomitant with his age.


During the two-year period of the play’s narrative, the director and actors have expertly and professionally developed the author’s view of Rothko’s intellectual stance on the wide range of knowledge art requires. Rothko’s depth of knowledge contrasts with the steep learning curve of his young assistant who has to cope with the probability – if not certainty – of his own ideas being shot down with a few well-chosen, often acerbic words by the older man.

Ken gradually learns to counter some of those barbs and the resulting interaction between the two opposing views is often emotional rather than rational, but always interesting.
Rothko’s occasional flashes of humour can be self-deprecating, but his mastery of the right language for the moment is perfect. If the laughter and applause when Rothko and Ken frenziedly paint a large canvas to the accompaniment of very loud music, the capacity audience at the Maidment Theatre appeared to agree.


The music throughout was carefully selected, never intrusive but appropriate to the mood and full marks to the sound engineers. The use of a turntable and vinyl on-stage underlined the use of music as an integral part of the narration.
Overall, I had a highly satisfying and enjoyable experience – engaging all the senses and leading to some serious contemplation of personal ideas on the meaning of art and its proponents, in our daily life. Hopefully, all those in the audience have consigned any “decorative art” beliefs they may have to the bin, but it is personal choice of course, Mark Rothko notwithstanding. I can unreservedly recommend a night at the Maidment for this performance.


Red plays at the Maidment Theatre until Saturday 25 June. For more info on the show, visit www.atc.co.nz.

| Coralie Unwin