Arena Stage ushers in 2012 with a Tony Award-winning play, John Logan’s “Red,” produced in association with Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, where it was a smash hit last fall. Directed by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls, “Red” will star four-time Helen Hayes Award winner Edward Gero. “Red” focuses on the life of the inspired painter Mark Rothko, perhaps best known for his massive paintings that feature blocks of rich, vibrant colors. The play takes place at the height of Rothko’s career, when he was preparing a series of paintings for New York’s Four Seasons Restaurant.
“I spent a significant amount of time in the Rothko Room at the Phillips Collection,” said Gero. “The curator there invited me to come back when the museum was closed, so I spent several hours by myself with the paintings. It was an incredible experience.
