Previews: DESTROYING DAVID at Off-Central Players

On stage at Off-Central Players November 12-22, Destroying David invites audiences on what begins as an exclusive after-hours tour of Michelangelo's iconic sculpture and gradually unfolds into a deeply personal story of loss, resilience, and the role art plays in helping us navigate life's most difficult moments.

Written by Jason Odell Williams and directed by Alexa Pérez, the one-person play is about an engaging museum guide whose carefully curated presentation gives way to an honest exploration of grief, memory, and what endures. Through humor, audience interaction, and heartfelt storytelling, Destroying David asks not only why art matters, but how it helps us preserve the people, experiences, and connections that shape our lives.

The play centers on an unnamed tour guide leading guests through the history and physical vulnerability of Michelangelo's famed David. As facts and stories about the sculpture unfold, the guide gradually reveals a devastating personal loss, transforming the evening into a profoundly human exploration of what survives when life is fractured.

For Pérez, the script's unflinching honesty was impossible to ignore.

"When I first read the script, I was immediately struck by its refusal to sanitize grief. Society loves to tell us that mourning should be quiet, neat, and brief, but real grief is messy, non-linear, and unpredictable."

She was equally drawn to the play's ability to find humor amid heartbreak.

"It acknowledges a fundamental truth: laughter isn't a disrespect to loss; it's how we survive it."

In Off-Central's intimate black box space, audiences become more than observers. The production eliminates the traditional fourth wall, making theatergoers part of the experience from the moment they arrive.

"From the moment the show begins, the audience isn't sitting in the dark watching a play. They are the after-hours VIP tour group," Pérez said.

That immersive approach creates a unique connection between performer and audience, one that becomes increasingly important as the story deepens.

"What starts as a tour becomes an unconscious, desperate plea for community, and the audience ends up serving as the safety net she didn't realize she was looking for."

Bringing that journey to life is Debbie Yones, who carries the entire production on her shoulders while guiding audiences through both art history and personal tragedy.

"Jason Odell Williams wrote a script that is a gift to the actor; the arc of the story line carries us to the reveal so smoothly and intentionally, that the emotions flow naturally," Yones said.

Although she is the sole performer onstage, Yones never feels alone.

"I do have scene partners! The audience members are the people on this after-hours tour, so much of what I say and, ultimately reveal, is for them."

The themes of art, memory, and mortality resonated deeply with the actor, particularly the idea that every individual is a work of art in their own right.

"Both have a similar line/sentiment that declares that we are all works of art - and it gets me right in the feels, every time. Each of us is our own masterpiece."

Throughout the play, Michelangelo's David serves as a symbol of both strength and vulnerability. Yones sees that duality reflected in the character she portrays.

"I think there is great strength in fragility; in suffering but finding the courage to move forward."

For Pérez, the production ultimately centers on what remains after loss.

"We can choose what we preserve in our hearts: the love, the memories, the human connections, and the art that gives life meaning."

As audiences leave the theater, Yones hopes they carry that message with them.

"I hope the audience comes away thinking about all the art in their lives and the importance of it all: theatre, sculpture, paintings, dance, music, photography, food, architecture, and everything else that enriches our lives."

More importantly, she hopes the play inspires people to cherish one another.

"I hope they will go and hug their loved ones a little tighter and laugh with them a little louder, and love them a little more because we are all ephemeral and can't (shouldn't) last forever."

Learn more and buy tickets at https://theoffcentral.com/tickets.