The Cast for Red by John Logan

Set Design: Miguel Saenz

Costume Design; Deya Macias

Photo credit: Chloe Nichols

“What is past and passing and to come.” 

I read this play in 2019 at the cusp of the pandemic and what followed was, as we all know,  a time of tumultuous change. People across the world had to pivot and devise new, creative means of producing work. This was integral to keeping businesses going and, for some, staying alive.  

I felt like our world was shifting: I went from living a normal day-to-day life to living through a global pandemic, and now I live in a world affected by it.

To me, RED encapsulated that shift.

It is a story of two individuals with vastly different upbringings working together: Rothko, trying his damnedest to stay relevant and remain true to tradition; and Ken, learning and fighting so desperately to exonerate Rothko of his fallacies. These two share unexpected and significant experiences over the course of several years, and just like us, must move on with newfound knowledge, appreciation of their experiences, and the uncertainty of an inevitable future.  

I originally pitched RED as a student show back in Spring 2022 and got approved for ACC Drama’s 2023-24 Season, and to say I was bursting at the seams with excitement would be an understatement.

I had the privilege of working with two incredibly talented and professional actors, Merrick Milburn [Rothko] and Julia Bennett [Ken]. They brought these characters to life with their natural mysticism and instincts, as well as making rehearsals a hoot-and-a-half; it was an honor directing them. I hope to see them continue their craft and perhaps work with them in the near future.

This team of designers - four ACC alumni and several current students from Drama and Fashion - brought this show to life from conception to design, construction to atmosphere. They are all such wonderfully talented and hard-working professionals whom I hope continue developing their skills and knowledge because I firmly believe their work must be experienced. They put in so much love and hard work in creating the world that is RED, and without them there would be no show.

I would also like to thank Marcus McQuirter for giving me the opportunity to direct this show - originally intended to be staged in a studio room - in the beautiful Black Box Theatre and for always believing in his students; as well as the other faculty members of the Drama Department. Their dedication to theatre and support for the students has been essential in the development of this show, and for that I am eternally grateful. 

If there’s one thing this show has taught me it’s that we humans are conflicted, contradicting beasts beholden to personal truths and beliefs moving in a finite world of finite truths, and sometimes we are…wrong. 

This is what red means to me… What does it mean to you?

Ryan Williams

Director

poster design by Chloe Nichols and Rachel Atkinson

Only 6 performances! Tickets on sale now.

The Austin Community College Drama Department is proud to announce our upcoming Spring 2024 production!

Red

by John Logan

SYNOPSIS

Winner of the 2010 Tony Award® for Best Play 

John Logan’s taut, visceral two-hander, Red, features artist Mark Rothko at the height of his career. Viewed through the lens of his youthful new assistant, Ken, we witness Rothko at the pinnacle of his creativity, but struggling through the creation of a series of large paintings, commissioned as a series intended to feature in New York’s brand-new Four Seasons Restaurant. As Ken and Rothko paint, they challenge each other to ask big questions about art: what it takes to create it and what its role should be in the world. Set in the 1950s, and based on a series of real events, Red takes a compelling look at the ever-changing relationship between an artist and his creations. 

"There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend... One day the black will swallow the red." 

- Synopsis provided by: Avital Shira || https://stageagent.com/shows/play/1187/red

Director: Ryan Williams

HLC2 Black Box Theater

February 23rd- March 3rd

Friday & Saturday 7:30 PM

Sunday 2:00 PM 

All ticket sales go directly to the ACC Drama and Dance Scholarship Fund.

PURCHASE RED TICKETS HERE!!!

CAST SPOTLIGHT:

CAST OF RED

Interview and cast photos by Chloe Nichols

Tell us about the character you play.

“Rothko is a renowned painter who is as accomplished and talented as he is bitter and cynical. His deep love for art is both his most lovable quality and weakness as he himself is tortured with it. He’s struggling to reconcile his ideals with his newest commission producing a series of paintings for the Four Seasons restaurant. “ -Merrick Milburn

“Ken is a young artist in 1950s New York City, determined to gain respect from the art world despite her lack of experience. When the audience first meets Ken, she's contained and watchful. She finds a lot of use in keeping her cards very close to her chest, but as the tension in the studio begins to wind up, Ken's imperative becomes to express herself on her terms, pushing past Rothko's bluster and theatrics to cut to the heart of what she believes is true. She has a specific vigor and intensity that can only be found in the gestational stage of an artist's career, paired with the righteousness that can sometimes accompany it.” -Julia Bennett

Were you familiar with Mark Rothko’s works and life before joining this production?

“Very limited, and only through his work. I was familiar with his style and have seen a few of his paintings. But I did not know much about him outside of that. “ -Merrick Milburn

“I was sort of familiar with Rothko's works before joining this production. I'd seen some of his pieces at the Menil Collection in Houston, close to where I grew up - definitely worth a visit, but I didn't know anything about his methodology or his personality. In the past, I've had trouble allocating the time that it takes for his paintings, and other Abstract Expressionist artwork, to become personally meaningful. Gratefully, in doing research for this production, I've been able to really practice how I look at art; how I can become part of the conversations that these works establish with their viewers.” -Julia Bennett

How has the rehearsal process been?

“Excellent! This is my first staged production with ACC, and let me just say, the production quality, facility, faculty, cast, and management have just been phenomenal from the get-go.” -Merrick Milburn

“It's hard to explain just how collaborative and this process has been from start to finish. The way I like to work is by diving headfirst and working intensely toward the shared goal of a solid tech experience and run of shows, and the entire team seems to be on the same page in that sense! I was truly so floored when I got to the space on the first day of rehearsal and saw that the walls of the set were already up and functional. There's an electricity that I can tap into in these rehearsals, and a good deal of it is generated by the feeling that the ideas brought up by this play really do matter to a lot of us. I'm thankful for Ryan's vision, the whole crew's dedicated execution and care, and Merrick's commitment to experimenting in rehearsal.” -Julia Bennett

What is your favorite part of the show?

“The fact that it’s a two person show! I’ve never done a full length two-person play before, and I’m glad I’ll get to have this experience.“ -Merrick Milburn

“I love the conversation that Rothko and Ken have in the middle of Scene three, where he's preparing the paint on one side of the stage and I'm working with the large canvas on the other. It's not a very flashy part of the script, but a grudging understanding and collaboration seems to be growing between the two, despite Rothko's demands for Ken to ‘think more’. The discussion they have here is also the most personally affecting in my opinion. Where Rothko finds tragedy in the perpetual shifting of our presentations, I strangely find a lot of comfort in the idea of myths in flux - each of us is able to access a wide dynamic range of ways to react to our environment and create at any given moment. It's the unpredictability of that movement that I'm trying to appreciate more consistently.” -Julia Bennett

What do you hope the audience takes away from this production?

“A new way of appreciation or understanding for art, artists, paintings, and Rothko.” -Merrick Milburn

“I think it's really important to me that folks walk away from this production with a better appreciation for the power of their own subjectivity. Once you're able to appreciate your own perspective and how it dovetails with that of other people's. I think that gives you a good foundation for other forms of self-respect, like expressing your opinion about art without backing down in the face of pushback, or sorting through painful memories.”

Commonly as an actor, you need a side gig to pay the bills. How do you maintain balance in your life between the two?

“Having a job that’s been flexible with me on my schedule.” -Merrick Milburn

“I have found it really hard to strike that balance in the past, honestly. I think in some ways, I would be very, very happy to spend all day in research mode for the projects I'm a part of, and then all evening in rehearsal for those projects. In the current setup though, spending time at my day job as the digital media assistant for a nonprofit allows me to get space from the world of the play so I can come back to it each night with new ideas and experiments. And because the conversations about the nature of art - the nature of artists! - in the text it holds so much weight for me, I catch myself percolating on them unintentionally in relation to my own life and my own art all the time. I'm not sure if that's very balanced, but there you go. ” -Julia Bennett

Who’s your favorite painter?



“Goya.” -Merrick Milburn

“Louise Bourgeois. She's a hugely prolific artist that worked in a ton of different mediums - painting, massive sculpture, small sculpture, installations, prints, mixed media - and explored a lot of herself and her memories in her works. People described her as ruthless. I read that she was good friends with Rothko.” -Julia Bennett

AAS DEGREE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:

GAVIN KENTER

Interview by Jamie Rogers

Where are you from? 

Technically? Michigan. Though I have lived in Texas for the majority of my life at this point. 

Were you involved in theater when you were in high school? Any past theater experience on  stage or behind the scenes? 

Yes. I took technical theater at Hutto High School and have had the opportunity to work  productions around Austin. 

Why did you decide to pursue a career in Technical Theater?

I came for the people. Theater people are always so interesting to be around. Whether they  are on stage or behind the curtain. I have stayed because I enjoy the amalgamation of artistic  vision and technical design that makes up the process of putting on a production.  

Can you tell us a bit about your lighting design process for our upcoming ACC Drama  production of Red? 

I began by finding pictures that fit the vibe the director had in mind for the show. Because  design meetings began months in advance these pictures gave me something to go back to if I  felt I needed a reminder or direction. From there I took things step by step, which really all  boiled down to: How can I help tell this story? What defining moments in this play that I can  help punctuate without distracting from the action?

Gavin at the lightboard during Red technical rehearsals

Photo: Channing Schreyer

What were the reasons you decided to enroll in the AAS Degree program at Austin  Community College? 

I wanted to build out my knowledge, and work in a space where it was safe to make  mistakes. 

Any favorite classes in the Drama Department and why? Important things you have learned  so far? 

My favorites have been Lighting Technology and Collaborative Design. I have learned ways to  work better in a group setting with a variety of new people. 

Do you attend school and have outside employment? If so, how do you find a balance  between work and drama department involvement? 

I don’t have a “real” job per say, but I do work gigs around town when they come up. This has included working as a designer, master electrician, and board op. I would say the biggest  thing for me has been doing my best to be a good student (showing up to class, producing  work that I am proud of), and frequently checking in with my professors. They want you to succeed and if they see you are putting in the work, they will be more understanding when  you for need support (and maybe another day on an assignment.

Any overall advice to give to current Drama Majors on ways to get them involved in the  Department? 

Talk to your professors. There are different shows happening all the time, and they often  would love an extra hand. Once you’re working your first production SHOW UP and BE  POLITE. Punctuality and not being a (redacted) are highly valued skills in this industry. 

What does the future hold? 

I will have completed my degree this summer. After that I hope to keep building my portfolio  whether that happens to be in a 4-year university or in a production company.