Karl Baker Olson and Thomas Derrah

Red is set in Rothko's New York City studio in the Bowery circa 1958-1959 when he was working on a commission for a series of murals to be hung in the tony Four Seasons Restaurant in the famed Seagrams Building. Although it is a fictional account, the play dissects the artist's process, both mental and physical, showing his struggle to create the paintings that he hopes will express basic human emotions and communicate with his viewers in an ongoing, honest and fluid conversation. The two-hander pairs Derrah with Karl Baker Olson as Ken, an ardent young man who becomes Rothko's assistant and eager recipient of the wisdom and philosophy entrenched in the sayings of the artist. Through their debates about art, culture, literature and philosophy, and their side by side work in the studio, Logan uses their relationship to paint a fascinating, in-depth picture of the artist, a man of great intellect and strong opinions, as well as to tell a story about fathers and sons.

As a recent transplant to New York, Olson's return to the SpeakEasy Stage is a welcome one. He portrays the growth of his character, progressing from timid and star struck when he is first hired, to earnest apprentice, to respectful and respected colleague. His physicality is a solid tool in his interpretation. To begin with, he stands tall and straight, tightly clutching a portfolio and moving stiffly. As his time on the job increases, he strides purposefully around the studio, completing his tasks, looking confident and relaxed. Olson's Ken rides the waves of Rothko's stormy sea like a surfer, sometimes getting knocked off the board, but constantly paddling back for another attempt to be carried along with the current.

In an ocean of red hues, the father-son theme is a thin, black thread that underlies both characters and informs their relationship. Rothko was ten years old when his father died, only months after the family had been reunited when the boy emigrated from Russia to Portland, Oregon. Ken shares his story of finding his parents murdered in their bed on a snowy morning when he was seven years old, causing his visceral reaction to red that is the color of dried blood and white as a symbol of death. Rothko states that the one thing he fears is that "one day the black will swallow the red," even as he explains that the point of his art is always the tragedy.

One of Logan's many achievements is that, without pedantry, he provides a wealth of information across a broad spectrum of subjects, all in the name of illustrating what goes into making a great artist and great art. The result is that the play is not strictly about art; it is about life, the value of a liberal arts-style education and life experience, in order to become civilized, in order to be an artist. Rothko tells Ken that he will be his employer, not his teacher, friend, or father, only to become each of those things, in essence, as the employment develops into a master class. Corresponding to the action within the play, Derrah's tour de force performance is a master class that ought to be experienced and savored by every student of theatre arts and every theatre aficionado. He sets the bar very high in the first weeks of the 2012 Boston theatre season.

Director David R. Gammons is the unseen hand behind this exquisitely rendered production, utilizing the sizable Wimberly stage to great effect with the embellishment of Cristina Todesco's scenic design and Jeff Adelberg's lighting design. The space is given the appearance of a large studio with exposed brick walls, a bank of oversized windows set high above the wall, and giant canvases surrounding the room. A collection of lamps, fixtures, spotlights and filters supply a variety of lighting effects, including the occasional wash of red overspreading a scene. Music serves an important purpose underscoring Rothko's thought process while studying his work in progress, as well as providing filler between scenes. Sound design is by Bill Barclay, and Gail Astrid Buckley appropriately dresses the artistic pair, mostly in red paint-smeared work clothes.

Red won six 2010 Tony Awards and its much-honored playwright also received the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Awards. Those accolades speak to the stellar quality of the writing and the theatricality of the play. What you must see for yourself is the astounding achievement of Gammons, Derrah and Olson in the SpeakEasy Stage Company production. It is one hundred minutes in the presence of greatness.

Red through February 4 at SpeakEasy Stage Company, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA; Box Office 617-933-8600 or www.SpeakEasyStage.com. Written by John Logan, Directed by David R. Gammons, Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco, Costume Design by Gail Astrid Buckley, Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg, Sound Design by Bill Barclay; Production Stage Manager, Katie Ailinger

Cast: Thomas Derrah, Karl Baker Olson

Photo: Craig Bailey/Perspective Photo