There is a profound beauty in watching something fragile survive. In Dezart Performs’ breathtaking West Coast Premiere of Jason Odell Williams’ Destroying David, that fragility is everywhere: in the literal cracks of a 500-year-old statue, in the fractured heart of a grieving mother, and in the very air of the theater itself.

Running through March 8, this production is more than just a play; it is, as the playwright describes in his personal note, a “beautiful ritual” that demands to be seen.

In Destroying David, the audience is drawn into a deeply personal exploration of Michelangelo’s David—guided by a soul so shattered by loss that they believe the only path to healing is to shatter the most beautiful thing in existence.

The most striking element of this production—and the key to its emotional power—is how it obliterates the “fourth wall.” Following Williams’ intent that his play should never feel like a “movie on a stage,” director Craig Wells has crafted an experience where the audience is not a passive observer, but an essential second character.

Aleisha Force delivers a tour de force performance, navigating the complex terrain of “collective grief” by looking us directly in the eye. She doesn’t just perform for the room; she inhabits it with us. By making the audience her confidant, Force transforms the play into a shared confession. You don’t just watch her grief—you carry it with her. Within minutes, she has completely won the room’s trust; audience members don’t just watch—they are eager to accept her invitation to step into the story, taking on individual roles with a good-natured, active participation that feels entirely organic. Under Craig Wells’ direction, this interaction never feels like a gimmick—it feels like a necessity. As the playwright notes, this interaction ensures that each performance becomes its own unique work of art, a “live history” that can never be repeated in exactly the same way.

The production is further elevated by Jason Reale’s stunning set design. From the moment you enter the space, you aren’t just in a theater; you are in the presence of the divine. The set creates the immersive illusion of being right there in Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, standing in the shadow of The David. It provides the perfect, high-stakes backdrop for a story about the “fatal flaws” we all carry—both in marble and in flesh.

In his letter, Williams asks a haunting question born from the pandemic: “What’s the point of art at all anymore?” This production is the definitive answer. It shows us that in our darkest, most hopeless moments, art—theatre, sculpture, and the shared breath of a live audience—is exactly what “shows us the light.”

Don’t miss this. It is a shimmering example of why we need the theater now more than ever.

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photos courtesy of Dezart Performs

Destroying David
Dezart Performs
605 S. Riverside Drive in Palm Springs
Thurs-Sat at 7; Sat and Sun at 2
75 minutes, no intermission
ends on March 8, 2026
for tickets, visit Dexart Performs

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