Hello there, it's been a while since I last reviewed another theatre piece and I'm really glad to be writing again today. Caught Red by John Logan last night after I was done with work and really didn’t know what I was getting myself into!
Before I discovered drama and theatre in secondary school, I was really into arts and crafts, from pottery to painting. Although rationality eventually led to the demise my hopes of becoming a painter, it didn’t kill my love for viewing art, which exploded when I went to Europe in 2012 and visited many museums which carries pieces from across the ages.
I loved art from the Renaissance period the most, and abstract art the least.
So imagine my furrowed brows when I walked into the set of Red featuring replicas of Mark Rothko, which mainly comprised of blocks of reds, blacks and maroons.
First reaction, “Dear lord, is this going to be pretentious?”
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| (Credits: SISTIC) |
Synopsis:
It is 1958. Mark Rothko, one of the most influential
artists of the Abstract Expressionist Movement, is in his studio working on a
major commission-known later as the infamous Seagram Murals-for the opening of
The Four Seasons restaurant, in New York. It is his new assistant Ken's first
day of work.
A man of fierce opinions and didactic conversation,
Rothko fires questions at his nervous assistant about art; which sparks a
surprisingly intense philosophical debate on life, art, culture and Nietzsche.
Finding himself challenged intellectually and emotionally by Ken, Rothko begins
to face some truths about himself as he reveals his struggles and fears as an
artist, his disdain for the modern world, and his inner turmoil over the
commissioned work.
The Review:
The set was a sight to behold, down to the creation of
wooden floors in the Esplanade’s black box theatre. Every single detail was immaculate,
from the painted on rust on the pipes to the splotches and stained paint on the
floor and furnishing. The set designer, Wong Chee Wai, previously designed the
set for The House of Bernada Alba, which I was absolutely sold by as well.
I previously heard of Daniel Jenkins when one of my close
friends watched The Pillowman in 2008 and raved about his performance.
I could see why, he was really immersed in the character of Mark
Ruthko and brought out the fierceness and tension of Mark Ruthko’s character in
the play, from the long lectures about what he feels art is, to his despair on
finding someone who could see what he saw.
Gavin Yap, who plays Mark Ruthko’s assistant, managed to
bring out a certain tenderness to his character, considering his character’s deeper and darker past.
Together these actors worked well, and knew how to
balance and portray the dynamic and power play between a master and his apprentice.
Humor was understated and unexpected; made possible with
Jenkin’s on point delivery and the attention to detail down to the way his
character chews his food.
Although the subtleties may have been more obvious on
someone who has studied literature because of the many literary devices and
elements detected, the message was loud and clear, even to someone who hasn’t.
It really spoke to that deep fear of not having someone understand you, despite
knowing there probably isn’t someone who can.
I’m still in disbelief I paid $10 (student price) to
watch this.
It’s definitely worth so much more!
Can't wait to watch my next play!
See you all soon (:
