Could your crowning achievement also become your undoing? John Logan’s play “RED” creates a searing portrait of master abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, as he grapples with his relationship with his paintings and the conflict between artistic integrity and commercialism. Is art a commodity? Rothko has accepted a lucrative commission to paint a series of murals for the Four Seasons restaurant in the prestigious Seagram Building. His young assistant, at first in intimidated awe of this towering figure of the art world, gains enough confidence to dare to ask the question and challenge him to confront this crisis of conscience. Will Rothko be able to reconcile his passionate reverence for ultimate truth and meaning in his work, with “painting a wall in the Temple of Consumption”? Plays May 1-17 at the Playhouse on the Park 1850 N. Central Ave. Phx. 85004. For tickets call 602-254-2151 or visit https://www.blkboxphx.com.
