On Broadway

RED 

Playwright:  John Logan

Alfred Molina as Mark Rothko.  Angry, abusive, jealous, vulnerable...portrayal exposes and captures the guts, genius, and soul of often embittered artist.  I was introduced to Rothko in '70s at St. Thomas' Rothko Chapel in Houston.  Difficult to express/explain why I was captivated even before I read his story.  In many ways, nothing in the play surprised me:  the personal pain and unrequited ambition is there in the paintings.  His suicide would be no suprise if you knew nothing of the bio.  Molina lays it all out there as the play spans Rothko's 'evolution/devolution' later in his career when success and acclaim come without the sense of self-satisfaction he'd sought.  It was never enough.  The silences and scene transitions were as important as the dialogue. 

Play was on Broadway at Golden Theatre for limited run (attended May 2010).  Would like to see it again.  Visceral experience.

John Logan is a playwright and scriptwriter whose movie credits include Gladiator (Best Picture), Sweeney Todd, and The Last Samurai.