Red

Oh my goodness, I cried and cried at the end of John Logan’s play, Red.  I watched it on PBS; it’s a magnificent torrent of words that imagines why painter Mark Rothko might have come to his decision to renounce his prestigious (and lucrative) commission for the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York. 

Alfred Molina is arresting as Rothko and as Ken, Alfred Enoch is not only Molina’s match, he is absolutely delicious to watch.

This dance of insight and learning between a master artist and his apprentice, and between a young man without a father and an old man without a son, is a beautiful thing to experience. It’s only the two of them in a magnificent set, with inventive staging (the canvas priming scene) and beautiful music—and there is no intermission.

The discussions about art, it’s purpose and effect, are one reason I cried! Oh my goodness. It’s so, so moving. Here’s a link to a preview. Here’s a link to interviews with the two Alfreds and the director.

See it if you can. To me, it's a perfect play.

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Wednesday was sunny and slow. It was a lovely day without a single AA.

Today has also dawned sunny, bright, cold and very sad. I’m sad because a lovely man and acquaintance passed away yesterday. I first knew John’s wife; Jill was in a play I directed way, way back, and it was through her I met the lovely man she married: John.

Jill and John were central figures in my world of professional artists of many disciplines. And they were beloved. So the entire community was heartbroken when John developed early-onset Alzheimer’s in his late forties. He passed away yesterday and his loss seems more painful after having watched Red.  RIP Johnny!

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I’m taking Sheba in for a haircut and bath this morning. I’ll grocery shop as she’s beautified, then we’ll come home to spend another lovely lazy day with Fred and Ethel.

I’m seriously chuffed!  My hydro bill for my first year on Gabriola was $4,500! I felt sick about it, so I seriously economized during year two and my annual bill last year was roughly $1,300. Well … I’m successfully doing even better. The chart (above) shows my consumption this year in light blue; the dark blue is last year’s usage. I’m doing even better and saving more money.

And that’s great. I had such a period of panic that I wouldn’t last here very long. I’m confident of my future here now and I’m not a good enough writer to effectively communicate how much that means to me.

I’m also moving much more slowly through my wood than in the past, so I may buy fewer than six cords this Spring (and have to schlep them to the sheds). 

And speaking of wood: Who knew how much I’d enjoy doing it? (By chopping wood, I mean making kindling out of large pieces of wood split by the man from whom I bought the wood.) I’ll be doing more today.