"There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend...

One day the black will swallow the red."

— Mark Rothko in RED

RED centers around Mark Rothko, one of the most influential painters of the Abstract Expressionist movement in post-World War II America. The play is set in Rothko’s studio in the late 1950s. When Rothko is contracted to paint murals for an exclusive restaurant in the newest high-rise of New York City, he is forced to make a pivotal decision: While the record-breaking commission tempts the artist’s vanity, it also challenges his own artistic sensibility.

With the sponsorship of Southern Utah University’s Department of Theatre Arts & Dance, through the Black Box Theatre Grant program, and the support of Southern Utah Museum of Art, this production was made possible. Additionally, Kade, producer and actor, utilized this project in attaining his BFA in Classical Acting.

Head of the Arts Administration program at SUU, Rachel Parker, director of the production, explains that “Rothko’s biggest fear is his own place in history; his mortality. The main imagery he uses to illustrate this is red turning into black. Similarly, as humans we are all racing to catch our life before it’s gone... before the red turns into black.” RED features Dan Frezza as Mark Rothko. Dan has acted with the Utah Shakespeare Festival, SUU (on stage and in Back Up the

Mountain), and the Neil Simon Festival. Before moving to Cedar City, he acted in Pittsburgh. Kade Cox, a graduating BFA Candidate in Theatre Arts, plays Rothko’s assistant.

The team wishes to thank the following individuals and organizations for their help in making this production possible: SUU Theatre Arts & Dance Faculty and Staff; Kristine Nordby, Kyle Cook, & Brain Swanson; Dean Shauna Mendini, Ashley Hansen Pollock, & the staff of SUMA.