If you could interview Leonardo da Vinci, what would you ask?
Director Massimiliano Finazzer Flory takes a stab at the question in the performance “Being Leonardo da Vinci: an impossible interview.” For one night only, the Kennedy Center was the host of an event where a genius from the Italian Renaissance was interviewed.
The interview was indeed “impossible,” with a female journalist asking Leonardo da Vinci (played by Massimiliano Finazzer Flory) more than 60 questions. But da Vinci comes to life during the interview, especially when he is explaining the reasoning behind another famous painting of his, “The Last Supper.”
Portraying a genius on the stage is a respectable feat to accomplish, especially one who was born many centuries ago. The audience sees the famous painter’s powers of observation when he is watching the dance performance that Michela Lucenti and Maurizio Camilli bring to the stage. The interview also reveals how difficult it is to keep up with da Vinci’s answers, which makes the perfect timing of his answers on the screen, which are posted in English from Renaissance Italian, essential.
The interview reveals a painter who loves his work with a passion, placing the art of painting on a pedestal and putting other art forms to shame. For a moment, the Renaissance is alive and well in the 21st century.
