photo by Robert Hakalski
Theatre Exile (1340 S. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147), launches its 28th season with John Logan’s Tony Award-winning play, Red, running October 24 through November 10. Featuring six-time Barrymore Award-winner Scott Greer as legendary artist Mark Rothko and Zach Valdez as his ambitious assistant. Red tells the story of the mentorship between Rothko and Ken at the time of Rothko’s largest commission- a series of murals for the Four Seasons. With themes reflecting generational and cultural shifts, the play highlights the struggles to stay relevant in a fast-changing world.
Below, Scott Greer talks more about the artist, why Red is a good fit for the Theatre Exile stage, and what he hopes audiences take away from seeing the show.
You can purchase tickets to Red here.
Q: Tell us a bit about Mark Rothko- who was he and what’s his significance in the history of modern art?
A: Mark Rothko was an Abstract Expressionist painter, painting in the mid 20th century. Along with contemporaries like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Robert Motherwell, he sought to explore painting without the “figure” as subject. I’m over my skis after saying even that much in terms of his impact on art history. I’ll leave that to the art historians, painters and critics. I will say that no one else painted like him, and when you stand in front of a Rothko, you feel that.
Q: Were you familiar with Rothko before taking on this role? Is there anything you found interesting about him while preparing for this production?
A: I was familiar with his work before this role came along. My college roommate was a sculptor and painter, and we spent a lot of time at the MoMA and the Gugenheim. I’ve even seen the Seagram Murals at the Tate Modern in London. I didn’t know much about his technique before preparing for this production, and I didn’t know how close he was to Jackson Pollock. Learning about that has been a particularly moving part of this process.
Q: Why do you think Theatre Exile is an ideal venue for Red and Rothko’s story?
A: Exile has always engaged in work that challenges the audience to look at themselves and the world differently. They seek to provoke conversation. The conversation around this play is about how and when does the older generation make way for the next, and how that impacts their work and what comes next. It poses questions about legacy, artistic and personal integrity, and obsession. All of that is very Theatre Exile to me.
Q: How does the plot of Red and Rothko’s success still resonate with artists today?
A: I think he demonstrated to the artists who came after him that painting doesn’t have to be representation. Emotion can be expressed through abstraction. I can only imagine this made countless artists look at painting in a new light.
Q: Do you have a favorite Rothko painting? Why?
A: I don’t. But I will say that sitting in the single gallery at the Tate Modern, solely dedicated to the nine Seagram Murals is profound and unforgettable. Working on Red, I learned how important it was to Rothko that his work, especially the murals, be viewed like this. You can easily see that he was right.
Q: What do you hope audiences take away from the production?
A: I hope that they wrestle with the questions I listed above. For those familiar with his work, I hope that the play helps to deepen their connection to it. For those who aren’t, I hope it inspires them to go see his paintings and experience them. They won’t regret it.
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