Michelangelo takes to the stage, and playwright and actor Justin Garascia joins us to discuss his dynamic reimagining of the early life of Michelangelo. Set in Renaissance Italy, MIKEY! unfolds as a gothic, queer fever dream, moving between the sculpting of David and the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. As Michelangelo reflects on the life that brought him to this moment, he wrestles with how he wants to be remembered — as a sculptor, not a painter.

Through a reimagined history, the play asks: what if there was a secret relationship at the House of Medici that shaped the artist’s emotional life and propelled the work we still revere over 500 years later?

Crowd Fund: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/mikey-a-new-play/campaigns/f6cecfad-a8b2-4ca1-a00f-b50d6d6e053d

Show Dates:
Tue, May 19 at 7 PM
Tue, May 26 at 7 PM
Thu, May 28 at 7 PM
Sat, May 30 at 3 PM
Sun, May 31 at 7 PM

Tickets on Sale Now: https://thetanknyc.org/calendar-1/2026/5/19/mikey

Follow along: @mikeytheplay and @justingarascia (Instagram)

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The Sforza Altarpiece (Pala Sforzesca) is among the single most important works of art commissioned by Ludovico il Moro. Through this painting, we can trace both the heavy religious history of Milan and the dynastic ambitions of the Sforza court. By investigating this painting, we can further understand the atmosphere leading to the decline of Sforza power.

Additionally, this painting shows the dramatic influence of the convergence of styles in Milan, from Leonardo da Vinci to the Flemish masters. With this comes the complicated attribution of the work, which until very recently, had remained unknown.

Work Discussed:

Giovanni Angelo Mirofoli (Master of the Sforza Altarpiece), Madonna Enthroned with Child, the Doctors of the Church and the Family of Ludovico il Moro (Sforza Altarpiece), 1495

https://pinacotecabrera.org/collezioni/collezione-on-line/madonna-in-trono-con-il-bambino-i-dottori-della-chiesa-e-la-famiglia-di-ludovico-il-moro-pala-sforzesca/

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The Florentine Renaissance Course

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There is no better way to explore the art and politics of the Sforza court in Milan than through the eyes of Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo spent most of his early career employed by Ludovico il Moro, the regent and eventual Duke of Milan. This episode ties together the drama and intrigue of Sforza court politics with the work Leonardo did during his First Milanese Period (1482-1499).

Some of Leonardo's most innovative painting arrived in this period. Beyond his Last Supper, the Renaissance master also worked on court portraits. Looking at both Lady with an Ermine and La Belle Ferronniere, we unpack the history of the ladies of the Sforza court and the complex social structures in Leonardo's Milan. Additionally, we explore the sophistication of Leonardo's style and ingenuity, especially as precursors to his Mona Lisa.

This conversation ultimately ties the complicated threads that unite art, court culture, politics, gender, and romance in Renaissance Milan.

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Works Discussed:

Leonardo da Vinci, Genevra de' Benci, ca. 1478 https://www.nga.gov/artworks/50724-ginevra-de-benci-obverse

Leonardo da Vinci, Lady with an Ermine, ca. 1490 https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/lady-with-an-ermine-leonardo-da-vinci/HwHUpggDy_HxNQ?hl=en-GB

Leonardo da Vinci and workshop, La Belle Ferronniere, ca. 1497 https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010062372

Salai, Head of Christ the Redeemer, 1511 https://ambrosiana.it/opere/testa-di-cristo-redentore/

The Florentine Renaissance Course

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