Megha Gulati, a Waldorf-trained educator and passionate performer, takes on the role of Mark Rothko’s assistant in Red, a powerful two-character play by John Logan. The role navigates volatile emotional terrain between reverence and rebellion.
Drawing from her experience working with adolescents through theatre, literature and music, Gulati reflects on the play’s themes of legacy, intergenerational wisdom, and the evolving nature of art, in a chat with Gomantak Times Digital.
As someone who works closely with adolescents through theatre and literature, how did you connect with the emotional and philosophical depth of Red, especially in portraying such a charged mentor-mentee dynamic?
As their relationship develops in the course of the play, Rothko and his much younger assistant are both constantly surprised by the depth they find in each other.
I think there’s such a need for intergenerational friendships, for us to put aside what we dislike superficially about generations above and below and instead lean into the fact that all of us carry an intrinsic wisdom. We just need to look closer.
We need to really feel, in our bloodstream, that we can remain open to the wise across generations, and allow ourselves to be moved and influenced by each other. We are forged in the fire of different times, each with its own struggles and strengths.
Dialogue within and with those we deem different can be such a gift. We need to read together more, talk about our mortality more, both physical and metaphorical and not shy away from it or cloak it in unhelpful euphemisms.
Given your background in Waldorf education, which emphasises imagination and empathy, how did that influence your approach to interpreting and performing this script?
We’ve been talking about what a ‘rehearsed reading’ really means, and how much to suggest to the audience and how much to invite them to lean into their own imagination to fill in the gaps.
We’ve settled somewhere in the middle, while really asking folks to persevere through the hard work of listening for an hour and a half without the ‘spectacle’ aspect of drama.
The play speaks to the fact that the continuum of time is eternal, and that everything is in constant flux. It’s set in a moment when Abstract Expressionism is waning and Pop Art is on the rise.
How is the play relevant in today's time?
The play speaks to the fact that the continuum of time is eternal, and that everything is in constant flux. It’s set in a moment when Abstract Expressionism is waning and Pop Art is on the rise. There’s a kind of composting of the old to make room for the new.
Can there be grace in the process of change? Can we avoid demolishing difference and instead recognise it as necessary and formative? What skills do we need to stay in a relationship with ourselves and with each other in these shifting times?
Red is a gripping two-character play, set in Mark Rothko’s studio in 1950s New York, as he works on a major commission for the Four Seasons restaurant.
At its heart is the volatile, intimate relationship between the tormented artist and his assistant, a role Gulati brings to life with rawness and depth. The rehearsed reading, will be performed by Megha Gulati and Karan Bhagat.
DETAILS
WHAT: Reading of the Tony award-winning play, Red
WHERE: Museum of Goa (MOG), Pilerne, North Goa
WHEN: Saturday, May 17, 2025
TIMINGS: 7 pm to 8.30 pm
DETAILS: +91 7722089666