2nd Story Theatre Will Present RED, 3/2-4/1/12

2nd Story Theatre will produce Red, John Logan's award-winning play about abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, from March 2 through April 1. Of replacing the previously announced Cripple of Inishmaan with Red, Artistic Director Ed Shea says, "You gotta know when to seize the play!" Shea added that he had been seeking the rights to stage Red for nearly a year when they suddenly became available. As of this date, 2nd Story is one of only three smaller theaters nationwide to be granted performance rights to this red-hot property.

Winner of the 2010 Tony Award for Best Play, Red "captures the dynamic relationship between an artist and his creations." – NY Times. "John Logan sends American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko into battle with his demons in this electrifying play of ideas, and the artist's howls are pure music. Rothko is one old lion that will keep roaring until he draws his last breath." – Variety.

Shea, who will portray Rothko in the production, to be directed by Mark Peckham, says, "Not since I Am My Own Wife have I encountered a play that made me salivate to get on stage again. Red is that play."

Abstract expressionist Mark Rothko has just landed the biggest commission in the history of modern art, a series of murals for New York's famed Four Seasons Restaurant. In the two years that follow, Rothko works feverishly with his young assistant, Ken, in his studio on the Bowery. When Ken gains the confidence to challenge him, Rothko faces the agonizing possibility that his crowning achievement could also become his undoing. Raw and provocative, Red is a searing portrait of an artist's ambition and vulnerability as he tries to create a definitive work for an extraordinary setting.

Tickets are $15 for preview performances, $25 for regular performances, and $20 for patrons under 21. For more information, visit www.2ndStoryTheatre.com.