Collaboration in the arts is something that plays out in the work itself as well as in how the work is produced. The magic of such collaborations is apparent as we approach the 3rd season of Actors' Theatre of Grand Rapids' Second Space Series, which is producing Red – a theatrical work about an artist and his studio assistant.
Red is a theatrical work that looks at the life of Mark Rothko on the occasion of one of his big commissions with New York's Four Seasons Restaurant. It is presented at the intimate Dog Story Theater with the Mixed Roots Collective working closely with Actors to produce this first of two staged shows scheduled this season.
While most may be aware of the colorful block paintings of the master abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, lesser known are the struggles behind the scenes that he encountered while making his works. Red begins with Rothko welcoming Ken, his assistant, to his Bowery studio. Most audiences will have no idea of how inverted the relationship of mentor and assistant would become in this raw and provocative look at the creative process presented in the tiny 50-seat venue.
The audience at Red will be immersed not just in the artist's studio with the actors working on a live work of art during the performance, but members attending are invited to stay after each performance to enjoy a audience talk back event with a different local arts professional after each performance. Visit Actors' Facebook page for a complete list of the artists speaking each night.
The second production in this series, Stupid F*@king Bird by Aaron Posner, opens on September 10. Bird is a loose adaptation from The Seagull by Anton Chekhov.
Admission: $15.
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