Researching Rothko

Red is coming soon. September 17. Be there. The Tony Award-winning play chronicles two years in the life of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, and though the original London-based production took the West End and Broadway by storm, this production will be the play's first American production—an American director and American cast telling this American story.

There are a thousand things we could say about the play's central character, Mark Rothko, and over the next few months we’ll be saying a lot of them—around town at various events (more on that to come), on our website, in OnStage, and on this very blog. So where do we begin? With actor Edward Gero (below), who will be playing the role of the legendary artist in our production of Red.



Edward is a Washington, DC-based actor, who Goodman audiences might recognize from his appearance as Gloucester in our 2006 production of King Lear. He began preparing for this titanic role over the summer, and has been chronicling his fascinating research process—from museum visits and chats with curators to YouTube videos on the creation of the Seagram Building—in a blog on his website. Rehearsals start next week, so stay tuned to Edward's blog for more behind-the-scenes action as it unfolds.

Top: The Seagram Murals at the Tate Modern. Photo by Max Mulhern.