Red Tickets

It was an interesting play for me as I am a retired art teacher. I was not very familiar with Rothko works. The acting was superb. Both actors were the characters they represented in action and demeanor. They were so convincing in their roles that I became involved emotionally. The set was great.

I enjoyed this production very much. Both actors were excellent I wouldn't mind seeing it again. Is success the tragedy?

I saw "Art" years ago in Toronto and was expecting a somewhat similar play about a solid colored canvas and the dialogue that would follow...is it art? This play was so much more. When it ended, I wanted to talk to the actors to tell them how intensely this production affected me, but had to leave lest I embarrass myself with tears. Two actors, no intermission. Riviting dialogue and superb acting. I was familiar with Mark Rothko and his work but the program was a great help for those less familiar. We never see the canvas being discussed but the dialogue gives us insight into what the Abstract Expressionists and specifically the Color Field painters were working toward. There was humor in Rothko's responses to his assistant and his thoughts on his contemporaries but the overpowering feeling that Rothko had about his art and the newer artists coming up with the next "ism" was what was most memorable. We knew he was sick. I knew he'd commit suicide. The best play I've seen in a long time. (excluding "Bitch Bares All" which was the very best.)

I think "Red" has such a specific topic - Rothko's paintings - that if you go in not knowing a thing about modern art or Rothko's paintings, you'll have a hard time visualizing what's really going on through a lot of the play. The actors spend a bit of time "staring" at the paintings, which are pretended to be hung right between the audience and stage, but do not exist on stage. So unless you can also imagine what they are seeing during their discussion, you'll be a little lost. The discussion was often about "what art really is" and to whom, which at that time of 1958-9 was wildly changing again (or more), and change may have been accelerating. I could definitely imagine Alfred Molina's voice and facial expression on the actor we saw, but not because the actor was doing an impression. I think it was just the writing and staging that evoked that for me, knowing he was the original cast lead. The theater was terribly empty. Too bad so many people missed such a great play performed by talented locals.

Columbus, Ohio is so fortunate to have the highly talented Kevin McClatchy in our midst. Don't miss seeing him in anything he does!

I loved the play. Very powerful performance that sometimes even gave me goos bumps. Well done!

"Red" is an interesting play if you know/like the era of Mark Rothko, the painter. The lead actor in the Catco production was strong enough for the part, but the young aspiring artist was pretty good without being equally strong. Also, and this is no fault of the production, the insertion of the story about the tragic murder of the young artist's parents seemed melodramatic. I guess we were supposed to see that the meaning of a particular color can be very personal; but this was like hitting a nail with a sledgehammer. The set was perfect. It was an enjoyable evening. A general comment about theater in Columbus, Ohio: a real theater, instead of the inadequate and antiseptic Riffe Center, is sorely needed. Cincinnati has a fabulous theater, completely professional; this city is crying out for something of the same caliber.

"Red" was one of the best plays I have ever experienced. I was on the edge of my seat through most of it. The dialogue was powerful as was its delivery. The performance makes you ponder art's place in our culture and it gave me new tools on how to explore Rothco's work. I am so looking forward to making my way to the Art Museum to see the exhibit there.

Wonderful show with memorable performance by actors & a script that gives insight into Rothko' s art

Mark Rothko is a comlex artist, and portraying the golden age of his life takes skill and courage. The CATCO team performs the story of "Red" with both. Kevin McClatchy siezes every inch of the main character and helps the audience understand Rothko's mastery of his craft and inability to master his own emotions. Tim Simeone keeps pace with McClatchy and his "Ken" is a well-played innocent foil to Rothko's complexity. These performances coupled with detailed set design and a perfectly intimate setting make this a play worth experiencing... twice!