SUDS Crew Callout: Red
Written by John Logan
Directed by Georgie Eggleton and Nikki Eghlimi
Produced by Nelson Lee and Alexis Nguyen
Show dates: 13th March 2024 - 23rd March 2024
Sunrise is red and red is sunrise. Red is heart beat. Red is passion. Red wine. Red roses. Red lipstick. Beets. Tulips. Peppers. Arterial blood.
‘Red’ by John Logan is a philosophical debate about the battle between life and death. This struggle is played out on Mark Rothko’s canvas, by a contest between red and black.
The play centres around Rothko, an abstract expressionist artist, as he navigates the ever-changing relationship between an artist and his creations. It is set in the late 1950s, and shows Rothko’s artistic practice as he works on a series of murals for the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. However throughout the course of the play, we see Rothko becoming severely depressed and contemplating suicide.
In terms of style, the play is a psychological thriller with moments of realism. Rothko struggles with finding his purpose; he’s losing touch and losing relevance, and becomes consumed by his inner thoughts. The artist wrestles with the question, how can art convey emotional experience? This play engulfs audiences into the artist's practice by showing art being created live on stage. We see paint being mixed, nails hammered into frames and a blank canvas being primed with a plum-coloured base. Two painters engage in a frantic ballet. It is tactile and physical.
Content warnings: References and allusions to death and suicide, references to Nazi’s, herbal cigarette usage, drinking, profane language, and strobe lighting.
Production Roles:
Cultural Consultant
Art Director
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Sound Designer
Lighting Designer
Stage Manager
Production Assistant
Photographer
Videographer
Graphics
*Assistant roles are available for all roles*
Key Materials:
Production Pack: https://shorturl.at/jvBDS
Production Form: https://forms.gle/DQQWHmxgcGRKVMTFA (interviews will be conducted via Zoom)
Key Dates:
Interviews:
November 22nd 11am-4pm
November 23rd 11am-4pm
November 24th 11am-4pm
November 30th 11am-4pm
December 1st 11am-4pm
Table Read:
20th, 21st or 22nd December
Bump In/ Tech week:
Tentative 3rd to the 12th of March
Contact us at redsuds2024@gmail.com for any further questions.
Acknowledgement of Country
SUDS acknowledges that the University of Sydney and the Cellar Theatre reside on stolen land; the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. As a society that exists to tell stories, it is important to acknowledge that stories were being told on this land for thousands of years before British colonisation.
SUDS pays respect to elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded – Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land.