The Ultimate Renaissance Man

The Notebooks of Leonardo daVinci – Goodman Theatre

Anyone familiar with Leonardo da Vinci, knows that he possessed an insatiable curiosity and a limitless mind. He was a genius who pursued a never-ending quest for knowledge in a variety of interests, although he’s primarily remembered as one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. His voracious search for an understanding of everything spanned a lifetime—from 1452 to his death in 1519. During this time, Leonardo became known as a celebrated painter, sculptor, draftsman, engineer, architect, scientist, theorist and inventor.

But not everyone knows that the famed Florentine of the Renaissance period also wrote and kept hundreds of voluminous journals and notebooks. These writings become windows into the inquiring mind and imagination of Leonardo da Vinci. Mary Zimmerman was initially attracted to creating a theatrical interpretation of these notebooks, back when she was student at Northwestern in 1989. After a successful directing assignment at the Goodman Theatre, Michael Maggio suggested that she might want to tackle this piece of her own. It became the first show that Ms Zimmerman created for and directed at the Goodman, and it propelled her career into what it has become today. Twenty-nine years later, after successful productions in New York and Seattle, and with just a few new edits and tweaks by the author, “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci” returns to its original home, with Ms Zimmer once again guiding this revival.

When asked to describe her expressionistic work about the ultimate Renaissance man, Mary Zimmerman calls the piece “a  portrait of consciousness.” In all fairness, unlike the playwright’s other works, including her Tony Award-winning “Metamorphosis,” this isn’t like your typical play. There’s no story being told. It’s more like a lecture about Leonardo da Vinci that draws from the actual thoughts and words set down in writing by the great man. What makes this production theatrical is in its spectacle, its showy, stylized presentation. And what makes the event so exciting is that what we’re seeing and hearing on the Owen stage springboards from the mind and imagination of this brilliant man.

Eight masterful actors, whose talents will surprise and surpass the expectations of the audience, portray the many facets of Leonardo. From his notebooks, much of the dialogue is presented in English, but a large portion is also delivered in Italian or Latin, a language which da Vinci taught himself. The 85-minute metaphoric production can overwhelm the audience with so much diverse information, but it makes up for it by dazzling patrons with its astounding visual images and sound. The eight Leonardos take turns with the narration, while the others, either individually or collectively as an ensemble, portray the artist’s words. The cast includes Christiana Clark, Kasey Foster, Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel, Adeoye, Christopher Donahue, John Gregorio, Anthony Irons and Wai Yim. Each actor has his moment to shine.

The artistic team who have created the supporting, technical side of this production are equally gifted. Set Designer Scott Bradley has fashioned an adult playground for this cast. A mountain of wooden file cabinet drawers line each side of the stage. Some actually contain objects and costumes; others turn into other things, like doors, stairways and a collection of showcases for nature. There’s scaffolding that soars up to the heavens, with a broken skylight. It’s a device that’s suitable for aerial work. There’s also a backdrop that mirrors the landscape behind the Mona Lisa, hidden swings and trapdoors and fields of wheat that appear out of nowhere. T.J. Gerckens has lit the scene with an old parchment quality, and Michael Bodeen paints the production with sound and music (co-written with Miriam Sturm) that truly bring this presentation to life. And Mara Blumenfeld works her magic once again creating costumes reminiscent of Renaissance Italy. At one point two actors become da Vinci’s famous drawing of the Vitruvian Man. In another unbelievable scene, the artist’s exploration of perspective is created as the cast weaves a web of white cords around the entire stage. The audio and visual effects help make this show the stunning piece of theatre that it is.

For a genuinely remarkable theatrical experience, Mary Zimmerman’s scholarly and artistic masterpiece is well worth a visit. While it might be argued that this theatrical piece, which is on overload with information, isn’t exactly a play. But it oozes with dramatic spectacle for the eye, ear, intellect and imagination. Featuring a gifted cast of multitalented actors, guided by one of the great director and playwrights of our time, and supported by a talented team of theatre artists, audiences once again have an opportunity to explore the mind of Leonardo da Vinci, the Ultimate Renaissance Man.    

Highly Recommended 

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented February 22-March 20 by the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the Goodman box office, by calling 312-443-3800 or by going to www.GoodmanTheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.