‘Red,’ a play about highs and lows of being an artist

MANILA, Philippines – The play Red is about the highs and lows of being an artist.
G Tongi talks to veteran theater actors celebrating the life and times of painter Mark Rothko.

G Töngi reports.

I’m here at Tanghalang Joseng Batute at the CCP to talk to the director and actors for Red, a play written by John Logan.

Red is the story of Mark Rothko, an abstract expressionist painter portrayed by veteran actor, Bart Guingona, who also directs. The play which debuted in London and moved to Broadway for a limited run featured Alfred Molina as Rothko and Eddie Redmayne as Ken.

Guingona received critical acclaim at the Aliw Awards for his performance of Rothko and this marks the show’s second staging. Guingona says this kind of material forces the audience to look beyond the superficial culture we find ourselves in today.

BART GUINGONA, VETERAN THEATER ACTOR: The underlying message is that we need to be able to start looking beyond the surface and to stop being lazy about looking at things. Unfortunately, a lot of what we have now, our culture, television, magazines, hey spoon feed us. They show us- you know, what’s on the surface and we’ve stopped looking beyond the surface. Now this one is a reminder to the audience that your life can be richer if you learn how to look. There’s a line there when he says “Make them Look!”

Red is the playwright’s attempt to understand the American postwar painter’s artistry and legacy.

Joaquin Valdez, filmmaker and writer portrays Mark Rothko’s fictional assistant, whose view represents postmodern pop artists. Valdez says working with Guingona was intimidating at first, but turned into a collaboration that felt like a perfect fit.

JOAQUIN VALDES, FILMMAKER & ACTOR: When I read for Bart, It was just a nice and a very sensible mixture, when we were exchanging lines and we were bouncing off the words , you know when you feel something, it tastes good. That’s pretty much how the chemistry went down and it just got better from here on in.

A straight play that delves into the ego and neurosis of an abstract painter, Red is performance art at its finest. Visceral, wonderfully acted and an intense foray into what ultimately makes us all human.
G Töngi, Rappler Manila. – Rappler.com