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...

After 36 years, Central Works presents its final production - and it is terrific! Gary Graves, playwright and Central Works Co-Director, has been inspired to interpret the life of Niccolo Machiavelli since 2009, in at least four different iterations. Now in The Prince Parts 1 & 2 , he reveals Machiavelli’s whole career in one long, six-act play, broken into two parts. Machiavelli needs to find out if it is best to be fair or ruthless when dealing with people like fanatically pious Brother Jerome Savonarola and ruthless Duke Cesare Borgia – with the aim of furthering his own career. When we meet him, Machiavelli is like a competent administrator with his check lists, taking in the actions and reactions of those around him. He is never the center of attention. As a young diplomat for the Republic of Florence, Machiavelli, played with naive innocence by excellent Kevin Singer, attempts to reason with “mad monk” Savonarola, played by Mark Farrel, who appeals to the religious faith of t...