Ithaca, NY (03/27/14) - The Hangar Theatre is proud to announce that Ithaca resident David Studwell will star as artist Mark Rothko in the Tony Award-winning play Red by John Logan, which kicks off the theatre's 40th Mainstage season June 12-21.
The winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Play, Red is a riveting character study that exposes the ambition and vulnerability necessary for a great artist to thrive. It's 1958, and artist Mark Rothko has been offered the biggest commission in modern art: creating a series of paintings to hang in The Four Seasons restaurant in New York City. As he and his young assistant work feverishly in his Lower East Side studio, they go head-to-head on the purpose of art and the relationship between the artist and his creation.
Studwell, who previously appeared in the Hangar's productions of Gypsy, Titanic, and Ragtime, will star alongside Paul-Emile Cendron, who makes his Hangar debut in the role of the assistant, Ken.
The production will also feature local residents Scenic Designer Tom Burch (4000 Miles) and Costume Designer Gretchen Darrow-Crotty (Lend Me a Tenor). Proudly making their Hangar Mainstage debut will be Sound Engineer Sean Hagerty and Ithaca College alum, Lighting Designer David Arsenault. The production will be directed by Artistic Director Jen Waldman, also an Ithaca College alum, as her Hangar Theatre Mainstage debut.
Waldman recalls meeting Studwell for the first time this winter:
When I began my appointment as Artistic Director of the Hangar, long before I had announced the season, I reached out to about a dozen local actors to get to know our local talent. David was one of the folks who came in to meet me. I am usually able to maintain a poker face while watching people work, but I found myself deeply affected by the piece David presented. There was an instant creative connection there. So I asked him, "What is your dream role right now?" Without missing a beat he said, "Mark Rothko in
Red." At that point, I was near certain that we would be including Red in our season, but I didn't say anything. About a month later, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about David playing Rothko. Something just told me it was the right fit. So the next day I called him and said, "We are doing Red, and I want you to play Rothko." That was it. No audition. No callback. Just an intense gut feeling that told me to trust and leap.
Studwell explains the appeal of the role this way: "As I begin my adventure into the unknown world of Red, I am equally thrilled and terrified - thrilled to work on such a beautifully written play and terrified by the daunting task of attempting to uncover and discover the complexities of this fascinating character. It excites me and sometime keeps me up at night. That's my adrenaline rush. That's what makes it all worthwhile."
Also on tap for the Hangar's 40th Mainstage Season are Around the World in 80 Days by Mark Brown (June 26-July 5), Little Shops of Horrors with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken (July 10-26), and Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz (July 31-August 9).
Mainstage season subscriptions, which are packed with added benefits, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 607-273-8588 or in person at the Hangar Theatre business office located in Center Ithaca on the Downtown Commons, 171 State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. Visit us at HangarTheatre.org for more information or to download a subscription form. The theatre is located at 801 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, NY 14850, two miles north of Downtown Ithaca on Route 89 at the Treman Marina entrance to Cass Park.
The Hangar's 2014 season is a celebration of its 40th year of providing exceptional theatre experiences to enrich, enlighten, educate, and entertain the diverse audience in the Finger Lakes region and beyond. All year, the Hangar will celebrate this milestone with special events, an alumni reunion, and stories taking a look back at the theatre's humble beginnings and rich history. Visit the website at www.HangarTheatre.org for more information.
