La Jolla Playhouse presents the world premiere of Restoration, written by and starring award-winning playwright/actress Claudia Shear (Dirty Blonde, Blown Sideways Through Life), directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. Commissioned by La Jolla Playhouse, Restoration runs in the Mandell Weiss Forum June 23 - July 19th. The official opening is tonight, Sunday, June 28th at 7:00 pm.
Inspired by the actual restoration of Michelangelo's David in 2004, acclaimed playwright/actress Claudia Shear delivers a passionate, funny and moving portrait of a woman who spends a year in the shadow of a masterpiece - and uncovers herself in the process. Giulia Alfani, a once-rising star in the world of art restoration, is now working out of her late mother's garage in Brooklyn. Her mentor, Professor Williams, arrives with the opportunity of a lifetime: he has secured Giulia an interview with L'Accademia in Florence for the job of "refreshing" the David in preparation for its 500th birthday. The play follows Giulia as she restores the iconic statue and develops relationships with a strikingly beautiful museum administrator and an omnipresent head of security. These encounters spark a life change in Giulia, allowing her to discover the statue's imperfections, as well as her own.
In her research for this fictionalized work, Shear traveled to Florence several times, meeting with experts at the Galleria dell'Accademia and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure - the most respected restoration center in Italy - as well as interviewing the woman who performed the statue's 2004 restoration. She was also given exclusive access to the David in order to become immersed in the world of the play.
"As an artist, Claudia is obsessive in the best possible way: when she falls in love with a topic or a character, she relentlessly plumbs their deepest depths," said La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley. "In this new play, she has created a delightfully fanatical woman who becomes personally restored by the very act of restoring Michelangelo's David."
The Cast features Claudia Shear as "Giulia," Alan Mandell as "Professor Williams," Natalija Nogulich as "Marciante/Beatrice/Nonna," Daniel Serafini-Sauli as "Max" and Kate Shindle as "Daphne."
The creative team includes Christopher Ashley, director; Scott Pask, set designer; David C. Woolard, costume designer; David Lander, lighting designer; Dan Moses Schreier, sound designer; Kristin Ellert, projection designer; Gabriel Greene, dramaturg; and Lisa Porter, stage manager.
Performance times for Restoration are Tuesday and Wednesday, 7:30pm; Thursday through Saturday, 8:00pm; and Sunday, 7:00pm. Matinees are held on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm. Single ticket prices range from $30 to $65. Tickets are currently available by calling The Playhouse Box Office at (858) 550-1010 or online at www.lajollaplayhouse.org.
Restoration is sponsored by Gail and Ralph Bryan and Dr. Howard and Barbara Milstein.
