Theater Review: Thought-provoking ‘Red’ In Cape Rep’s Barn

 “Ten percent of art is the brush on the painting, the rest is waiting.”

 This line from Bits and Bobs Theater Company’s presentation of the play “Red,” now at the Cape Rep Theatre’s historic Crosby Barn, epitomizes the production itself as the company “waits” to see how audiences receive their work. 

 The audience was intent and engaged on the night “Red” opened in the Brewster barn. This show is provocative, intense and yes, even annoying at some points. One of the two principals is annoyingly clever, annoyingly full of himself yet appears to listen to his “employee” once or twice. 

 “Red” conveys a multitude of messages. It makes one think about the significance of color and its impact on our emotions, illustrating how a hue can influence us. Additionally, there’s the theme of compromising one’s art for visibility and recognition. Lastly, it raises the question of how much one person can endure from another. 

The Tony Award-winning play is written by John Logan and based on an incident in the life of painter Mark Rothko. He has landed a huge commission and needs an assistant as he undertakes the job. He hires Ken, with extremely strict guidelines. No chit-chat will be tolerated, even though Ken is an aspiring artist himself. They are employer and employee and not friends. The artist likes to make statements a lot! He’s very opinionated and only interested in pontificating his opinions over and over. He’s not a likable character. John O’Meara is superb in the role. 

 Colin Bourget as Ken is his perfect counterpart. The two clash over their visions of art and on how to measure success throughout the show. When Ken finally explodes, you feel like cheering.

 Bits and Bobs is “an independent group of emerging artists dedicated to making theater more accessible for young and developing creatives,” focusing on “challenging, original work.” This production is directed by Izaak van der Wende, who is also credited with the sound design. I loved the scratch of the vinyl record as each character selected different music to play. The set and “replicas” are designed by Andre van der Wende; Lucie Jackett designed the costumes. Maura Hanlon is credited with lighting design, and Nell Hamilton is the production stage manager. 

 My theater companion texted me her thoughts after the show: “The show focused on taking art seriously (and the process of making art) and then morphed into supporting new art, as Cape Rep consistently does.” I couldn't agree more. 

 The show is a little over an hour long, and the intimate barn setting works perfectly for such a thought-provoking production.