Da Vinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience is not a conventional piece of theater. It is a multimedia lecture on art history that takes place in a theater.

The local venue for the touring show is the newly reopened Westport Playhouse. The previous management closed the theater at the start of the pandemic. The new operator has enhanced the space with new lighting, a new sound system, and a 40-foot video screen backdrop.

The show is the work of Mark Rodgers, who is the writer, producer, and headliner. His program bio mentions connections to both St. Louis and the artists under consideration. His “love of theater began at the age of ten when his mother took him to see Man of La Mancha at the American Theatre in St. Louis.” More recently, he has been director of the Da Vinci & Michelangelo Exhibitions for North America. The touring show draws on Rodgers’ experience in curating these exhibitions.

The show includes videos, 3-D animation, film clips, and still images of works by both Michelangelo and da Vinci, including sketches, inventions, machines, sculptures, codices, and paintings.

The show begins with a short video presenting a whirlwind tour of the history leading up to the Renaissance. Rodgers then comes onstage to introduce his twin subjects in a presentation that is energetic and theatrical.

Da Vinci (15 April 1452–2 May 1519) was nearly 23 years older than Michelangelo (6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564). The two titans hated each other, Rodgers tells us, but considering their achievements together is an effective strategy. Rodgers interweaves sections on the two artists and their works, putting them in historical context. The works discussed include the following:

• The Pietas (both Roman and Florentine), the statue of David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and the Last Judgment, all by Michelangelo.
• The Mona Lisa and many drawings of inventions by da Vinci, including the life preserver, an underwater breathing apparatus, the ball bearing, the bicycle, the fly wheel, and the cam hammer. Models of a number da Vinci’s machines have been installed In a hallway outside the theater.

Toward the end, Rodgers points out the presence of da Vinci inventions in modern technologies such as the internal combustion engine and the electric guitar.

I liked the material and Rodgers’ enthusiasm for it. He is generally an effective presenter, though he relies too heavily on the catchphrase, “How cool is that.” He should have more confidence that the coolness of the titans’ achievements is self-evident. Also, I would have appreciated fewer pauses to elicit guesses from the audience. Another concern is a mismatch in aspect ratios between the projector and the material.

Da Vinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience continues through August 28 at the Westport Playhouse.

—Gerry Kowarsky

Mark Rodgers in Da Vinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience. Photo courtesy of the artist.