Bay Area Limelight

Power and politics are evident in the hilarious ongoing argument which opens The Prince Part 2 between Machiavelli, this time played with aplomb by Mark Farrell, and Leonardo, humorous Michael Ray Wisely, regarding the mess of the water system’s trenches in Pisa. Machiavelli, ever the diplomat, tries to get Leonardo to come up with a solution and Leonardo complains that they didn’t follow his specifications so it’s not his fault. There is lots of clever banter here, one of playwright Graves’ strengths, as Leonardo negotiates for expenses for himself and his entire family.  Sound familiar? Reflections on a reflecting pool? Machiavelli’s engagement of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonorroti to create a wall-sized painting of the Battle of Cascina pits the two artists, one older, the other in his prime, in a furious competition. Brennan Pickman-Thoon’s rebellious Michelangelo won’t work on a schedule. Leonardo sees it as a recruitment tool. These two characters came alive in a w...