Red at Ensemble Theatre Company

In 1958, when the renowned painter Mark Rothko is commissioned to create a series of paintings for a new and exclusive Four Seasons restaurant. But is it art, or is he merely selling out for commercial gain? Red, winner of the 2010 Tony Award for Best Play, pits Rothko against an idealistic young protégé in a thrilling look into the artistic temperament and the relationship between the artist and his creations. The play also delves into the primal relationships between father and son, and teacher and student. Intense, funny, philosophical, and sensual in its examination of the creative mind, the play — like Rothko’s famous vibrantly colored rectangle paintings — brims with energy and ecstasy. .