Sackerson/Lil Poppet Productions Will Bring RED to the Stage

Salt Lake City-based Sackerson and Lil Poppet Productions have announced their next collaboration will be "Red" by John Logan, directed by Morag Shepherd. The show will run from April 16-26 and will be staged in an art studio in Converse Hall at Westminster University, 1840 S.1300 East.

"Red" was first produced by the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2009. It then transferred to Broadway in March 2010 with the same two leads, Alfred Molina as Rothko and Eddie Redmayne as his assistant, Ken. The play, which won six Tony Awards, has subsequently been performed around the world.

Under the watchful gaze of his young assistant, and the threatening presence of a new generation of artists, Rothko takes on his greatest challenge yet: to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting. In the play, Rothko is in his New York studio in 1958/59, having been commissioned to paint a series of murals for the exclusive Four Seasons restaurant. He gives orders to his assistant, Ken, as Ken mixes paints, makes frames, and primes canvases. Ken, however, eventually questions Rothko's theories of art and his acceding to work on such a commercial project.

Shepherd, who is originally from Scotland, currently serves as one of the producers of Sackerson, a company that often works with Lil Poppet Productions.

She described the show: "This show depicts a specific slice of time from the painter Mark Rothko's career, where he made the radical and political statement of refunding the money for a commission he had taken to paint a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant in the Seagram building in New York City. At the time this was a scandal because Rothko stood to make more money than any other painter in history, and the details of the decision remain muddy. John Logan pulled on this question to write and create 'Red', and what unfolds is as tense and passionate as the painter himself."

She added: "After I read this piece I could not stop thinking about it. Never have I read a play that grapples with the role of art in relation to the artist in such a profound, thoughtful, and bold way. I especially am haunted by what Logan interjects about the audience, audience consumption, and how we have almost entirely failed to engage with art that we do not understand. We want our art to be easy and follow a simple, linear trajectory, when life is rarely that way. Rothko demands more, and indubitably, Logan does too."

Tyson Baker, who plays Rothko, spoke about why the play appealed to him as an actor.

"Red has appealed to me since a fellow Wildcat introduced it to me in my last year at Weber State in 2010; it's been stuck in my mind ever since," he said. "Initially Ken was the role I fell in love with. Also scene three in the play where both actors get to slather paint on a canvas on stage in front of an audience."

"I auditioned at SLAC when they did it in 2011, got called back but didn't make the final cut. Then Morag hit me up towards the end of last year and was like 'I read the play. I love it. I want you to play Rothko. Let's do this next spring.' Rothko's experience had never even entered my thought. I was so enamored with Ken, the young and up-and-coming artist."

"But then I re-read the play. And then I read it again. I was like, OK…Rothko's age as described by John Logan, the incredibly intelligent and talented playwright and screenwriter, puts Rothko at 55 for the play. I'm 40. I was very intimidated by the age gap. Plus doubly intimidated by Molina's incredible progeny of a performance. So where does that leave me? In my own study, I feel like I've found my own hypothesis of what I think is at the heart of the play 'Red.' The way my mind works is that any definite idea inevitably strays into the abstract. Pockets of ideas of my crazy actor brain though: It's obviously about paint and art. It's about mentorship. It's about generational transition. About progeny."

Amona Faatau, who plays Ken, added: "For me, the biggest draw was the characters and the relationship between Mark Rothko and Ken. Ken, a young artist trying to make a name for himself, seeks mentorship and even approval from the established Rothko throughout the play. I've worked with Morag and Sackerson only a few times, and have often found myself in a very similar position. Each production, including this one, has introduced me to brilliant creatives whom I deeply respect and whom I've found myself seeking for similar moments of advice and approval. It's a feeling that resonates with many, trying to prove your worth, and one that Ken carries in each scene. Rothko holds a nearly identical weight in needing to prove you're what others say you are. I think the constant back-and-forth of energy and passion between the two is an exciting challenge to truly engage, connect, and change with each other as well as the audience. And it's one I look forward to tackling with Tyson."

Producing partner at Sackerson, Jesse Nepivoda, talked about why the piece appealed to him.