Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...But despite admirable performances from Brian Parry as Rothko and Aaron Kirby as his challenging fictional assistant, Ken, "Red" doesn't benefit from closer examination. The didactic nature of the debates feels smaller, the stakes lower."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...Wrestling with this Leviathon of a text is no small undertaking for only two actors, but Brian Parry, best known on the storefront circuit for his quietly avuncular roles, proves himself equally skilled at King Lear-style ranting and roaring, while never exceeding the limits of quarters ill-suited to operatic scale. Aaron Kirby's Ken likewise emerges a worthy adversary, conveying profound admiration for his mentor, even when it means uttering the truths from which there is no hiding. It takes 85 intermissionless minutes for Logan's conflict achieve its sadly temporary resolution, making for dialogue so densely packed in its eloquence that as swiftly as you hear it, you want to hear it again. Smart playgoers are warned to book reservations for two performances."
ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended
"...Much like Rothko’s work, director Steve Scott focuses on the primary colors. When you are dealing with a script that is repetitive in nature, as this one is, you need to paint in a multitude of colors which can shift mood and enhance the nuances of the irascible subject. Logan’s brilliant script is rife with beautiful and censorious language which reflects his subject but is as fixed in repetitive speech patterns as its subject is in his lonely world of twilight which, if not broken up, will sap vitality and its throbbing life force."
Chicago On the Aisle - Highly Recommended
"...This is the third production I’ve seen of “Red,” and certainly the most intimate. Patrons seated in the front row of Redtwist’s tiny performing space are provided with coverings against the spray of paint. I loved the fly-on-the-wall perspective on a character whose monumental vision, and ego, Parry conveys with unbending conviction. And yet, that said, Kirby is no less persuasive as the personification of art’s next wave, which must come, as revitalizing as it is inexorable."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Director Steve Scott has carved out a realistic, but evocative world for these self-aware dramatic characters. Scenic designer Eric Luchen and lighting designer Zoe Mikel-Stites made a studio for Rothko, including replicas of his paintings under the dark conditions he considered ideal for them. Giving Rothko the home field advantage lends credibility to the mystical properties he ascribes to art, and forces the audience to listen more keenly in the absence of visual detail."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Recommended
"...While the take-away from the play is pretty predictable, the overall experience is worthwhile, and a great showcase for the moving art that is theatre. And in the end, any play that seeks to educate the uninitiated about great art has its place."
- Conor McShane and Leslie Hull
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Tony Award winner, “RED” under the skillful direction of Steve Scott is now being staged in this very intimate space. A space that asks the audience members in specific seats to don plastic gear as these are what are termed “splatter seats”. To explain this, you must know that “Red” is in fact an explosive story about an artist, master expressionist Mark Rothko (an amazing performance by Brian Parry, who always brings 100% PLUS to every role he plays) as he takes on a young apprentice, Ken (deftly handled by Aaron Kirby), who as it turns out questions the importance of his mentor/employer. As an artist, he will pain. Yes, right on the intimate stage of redtwist."