Roses Are Red



Marina Sadovsky has finally fulfilled her dreams of starring in the new nationally renowned ballet. Certain that this performance will be the show that gets his company back on the charts, Albert Giles, the director of the ballet company, has anticipated this moment of redemption ever since the government's blacklisting of artists started to stifle the entertainment industry. Set during the McCarthy era, Marina is approached by the FBI two days before the premiere. The FBI is threatening to arrest her under the suspicion of being a communist. With all of the negative publicity, it is starting to look doubtful that the company and Albert will be able to display the performance of sheer brilliance that he has promoted. Overwhelmed and under pressure, Marina's fear of being taken away feeds her further into paranoia, which causes her to dismiss anyone who she feels is trustworthy, including her director and lifelong friend, Albert. Alone and against the world, Marina must decide whether to flee into hiding before the opening show and never perform again or to perform what could be her last show on stage and risk losing her freedom and even her life.



​McCarthyism was the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. That term, also known as the Second Red Scare and lasted from about 1950 to 1954, was characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists.