The UT Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts presented senior theatre student Paul Watkins’ capstone production of Red on April 14 through April 15. Originally written by John Logan, the story follows tortured painter Mark Rothko as he embarks upon a treacherous mural project with his assistant Ken, with whom he has a complicated and constantly-evolving relationship, that may cause the tightly wound artist to finally unravel. In an entirely student-produced show, Watkins portrays Rothko in a role that serves as the culmination of his trajectory through the department, and he recruited peers Emmie Porter and Lymonte Thomas to direct and co-star, respectively.
Porter underscores the compelling foundation of the play as the intimate and nuanced relationship between the two characters, which she sought to reflect in her direction by blurring the lines in traditional dynamics like employer-employee, student-teacher, father-son and even friend-friend. The story is an act of bridging the gap between generations as echoed through the connection of the older, jaded Rothko and younger, naïve Ken, and the collaborative process of theatre requires a similar unity. Luckily, the show’s lead was up to the daunting task inside and out, with Porter describing him as an extremely thoughtful thespian.
“Paul, as an actor and collaborator, is very fluid. He’s very receptive to direction, and as a director, I could trust him to do the character work on his own. When I had questions as to why he made certain choices, he was always able to give me an explanation,” Porter says. “Being a critical thinker is one of the most important things for an actor to possess.”
At its center, the play grapples with the current state of the art industry as it is marred by capitalist intent and elitist culture, with the bitter Rothko wanting to uphold integrity and conviction beyond all his cantankerous behavior. Existing in a sphere where the performing arts are infamously undervalued and insufficiently funded, the UT Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts also faces challenges, yet they meet those hurdles with diligence. Porter notes a practically nonexistent budget that affects essential elements like lighting, sound, costumes and set decoration, but that did not impede her and Watkins’ commitment to the craft.
“We start with read-throughs of the script; then move to blocking; then to running the show; then to incorporating lights, sound and costumes until the show is finished, which it will never be,” Porter says. “A piece of art is always in a state of being incomplete.”
A hallmark of great artists is an incessant need to push the boundaries forward. Similarly, in the department, the students are constantly honing their theatrical skills, yet with Watkins reaching these final stages in his college career, his pursuit and passion for theatre remain eternal. Rothko ultimately desires to exhibit such unimpeachable ingenuity in his art that it transcends all the tribulations of his milieu, “to make them look,” and Porter believes the show was a success, despite the constraints of a student-produced production.
“We’ve made them look,” she says.
