Art News

‘Red,’ a Play About Artist Mark Rothko, is Big Winner at Tonys

NEW YORK, NY (AP).- The tense drama “Red” delivered one of its half-dozen Tony Awards to Eddie Redmayne for his performance as the young, increasingly defiant assistant to artist Mark Rothko. But Redmayne, honored Sunday at the 2010 Tony Awards as best featured actor in a play, says the role isn’t as demanding as it might seem to the audience. “I studied art history at university, and it’s fascinating to me,” he said backstage, “and the arguments are so powerfully written that it’s actually much easier than perhaps it looks to get up and be passionate about it each night.” Performing in “Red” has also inspired him to take up painting again, he added, though he admitted, “I’m a really bad artist.” “Red,” which won the Tony for best play, loomed large at the ceremony honoring Broadway’s best, but the awards