The Cast of Red: Q&A

Brian Dykstra on Red and playing Mark Rothko

What intrigued you about the play Red? Why did you want to be a part of it? Well, there’s all these wonderful things you get to act. They say Artists can be temperamental (of course there are a handful of temperamental actors out there, as well) and the opportunity to act that kind of person is delicious. The debate is spirited and intelligent and that’s not always the case. I love to argue. And so does Rothko. So that’s great fun.

Mark Rothko was a complex individual – how did you prepare yourself for this role? Pretty much the same way I always do. For me, all the information is in the script. Or, if it isn’t, there’s a problem with the play that may be a fatal flaw. Yeah, I read the Jimmy Breslin autobiography, I watched videos on Rothko, I went to art museums, I read "The Birth of Tragedy" (which is discussed at length in the play), but really, it’s about identifying values, signals, needs, and wants in the script. For instance, some of the things said about Rothko are indeed about his opinionated nature, but I found most of the research to describe a guy who argued passionately, but didn’t really get all that vocal about it. Even in the script he’s described by the other character as "restrained, intellectual, sober, rabbinical," which may be true for his Art, but that’s not the character the playwright wrote. The character in the play apologizes to no one. If he wants to throw a tantrum, he goes ahead and throws one with no brakes engaged. He burns much hotter than I think the real Rothko burned. At least as I understand it. I suppose it is helpful to know his place in the world and the Art World. To know he was the most famous and respected artist (at least since Pollock died) is to start to understand what he stands to lose when the threat of pop art encroaches on that fame, respect, and fortune.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned so far throughout this process? Have you been particularly surprised by anything? I guess the process by which Rothko painted. I wasn’t really a huge fan before this experience. My wife has said for years how he’s one of her favorite painters (actually, I think he’s her very favorite) and that would mean that at museums she’d stand and watch the paintings and I’d meet her down the wing looking at some other painter. To discover the technique involved in creating dozens of layers of color that allow light to play in a way that no one else has been able to accomplish in quite the same way, is fascinating and has given me new appreciation of Rothko’s work. Hearing about what he thought about, and how to look at his work, has been fascinating. Now, that being said, if I were playing Robert Rauchenberg (whose work I don’t particularly care for) I’m sure the research would lead me to a similar relationship with his art. Knowledge brings appreciation and certainly, I admit that playing a famous artist makes you "Want" to like the art your character produces. I mean, if I were playing a guy who made "bad" art, my job would be to love it and suffer over the fact that no one recognizes his talent. But, I think, it’s a lot easier with someone who is as demonstrably talented as this guy. Surprised? I guess I am surprised by how quickly the evening goes by. I’m always shocked when the first scene is already over and I have a thought in scene three that we should only be in scene two because it feels like we’ve only been on stage for 20 minutes, but that’s not true.

This is your first time performing at The Rep - what do you like most about working here? I have a friend who claims the out-of-town experience is only as good as the housing (which is terrific here) but I think that’s only true when the housing totally sucks. I guess, for me, it’s always the same answer: The People you get to create with, when they’re talented like here, and giving, and patient, then good work can be more possible. Steven Woolf chooses wisely, he’s going to pick people who get to work and are not jerks, and his patience, eye, talent, and (very important) ability to keep the rehearsal room creative and progressing is perfect for producing good work.

If you could use only one word to describe this play, what would it be and why? Passionate. Plays are often about passion because, I think we don’t have enough in our lives and we need to be reminded to embrace it. I mean, after the first flush of a new romance, or dive trip to the Blue Hole in Belize we often ease into our "life." Here’s a play where the adults try (in fact it is their job) to see the world the way artists do. That is to say, with a childlike fascination. It is also the way actors are trained to relate to the world. Losing that sense of wonder is often a condition of maturity, but I think it doesn’t have to be. Now, there is a downside to embracing this childlike view in everyday life, in that we don’t always fully understand cause-and-effect, we don’t much plan for the future, we don’t really feed our retirement account or worry about health insurance, even the next job is a leap of faith, so we have to remind ourselves to do the mundane things required of adulthood, or, in my case, marry an exceptional woman who bridges both worlds so perfectly – she’s a terrific director who has the discipline to plan for things, even as she lives in the now. So, I’m pretty sure it’s better to live in the moment than worry about some theoretical reward for good behavior. And to live a passionate life sounds like about the best thing there is. Who wants to work for the weekend, or for that dive trip, or for retirement, or some other future reward? If you don’t love your job, quit. If you can’t quit because of real responsibilities, then find passion in what you do. Or something like that.

Matthew Carlson on Red and playing Ken

What intrigued you about the play Red? Why did you want to be a part of it? Red is about the world of visual art, but it’s very easy to find parallels to a life in the theater. I find working on this play to be really personal and it forces me to look at my own life as an artist, certainly the relationships between self-expression and self-doubt, between creativity and perseverance. And Ken has a significant arc in this play: slowly finding his voice and coming into his own as an artist. Sharing that with an audience each night can be incredibly satisfying.

Unlike the character of Mark Rothko, the character of Ken is fictitious and is likely a compilation of many of the assistants Rothko had over the years – how did you prepare yourself for a role like this? Well, the first thing I did was to set aside the need to do incredibly specific research on Rothko himself, since Ken comes into the play knowing very little about his personal life or history. Instead, I focused on what my life would be like in the New York (and specifically the art world) of the 1950s, which led me to a book called New Art City by Jed Perl. Then I set about familiarizing myself with the art and artists mentioned in the play, especially those who would be Ken’s contemporaries.  Documentaries like Painter’s Painting (which includes Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns) and Roy Lichtenstein feature both interviews and actual footage of the artists working.  I think you have to be careful that research remains human and not simply academic, and documentaries especially help with that.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned so far throughout this process? Have you been particularly surprised by anything? I certainly didn’t know how complicated Rothko’s process was.  His paintings glow from within, and sometimes it seems as if you could walk right into them.  He apparently achieved this through layers and layers of paint, thin glazes, some of which are clear (having no pigment) and are simply meant to refract light.  I see the paintings a little differently now, knowing more about how they were made. But more personally, I was caught off guard by how uncomfortable he was with success.  You always assume that we gain confidence with recognition and age, and it’s somehow reassuring to know that even great artists at the height of their success have to deal with the same day to day insecurities that the rest of us face.

You’ve performed at The Rep before – what do you like most about working here? I have to say, I love the physical space of the theater.  Walking back onstage for the curtain call, the aisle lights glow all the way up to the last row.  A lot of theaters can feel cold or efficient, but the Rep has a certain warmth to it.  I also grew up in the Midwest, so I appreciate the practicality (and again, the warmth) that finds its way into the work, relationships, and process of making theater here.

If you could use only one word to describe this play, what would it be and why? I have the urge to quote Ken’s one word answer to Rothko about how the Seagram Murals make him feel. So how about “disquieting?” Plays and films about artists often sentimentalize what that life is like, but I think Red is an exception. The honesty with which it looks at both the exhilaration and exasperation of being an artist is exciting, and at times, unsettling. For more information on Matthew visit http://www.matthewcarlsonactor.com.

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