Destroying David
The West Coast Premiere by Jason Odell Williams
DESTROYING DAVID is a meditative, witty, and heartfelt journey through the history of one of the world’s greatest sculptures — and through the inner world of someone struggling with loss, love, and what it means to preserve what we hold dear. DESTROYING DAVID runs 75 minutes with no intermission.
This one-person play explores why art matters, not just as aesthetic beauty, but as something that helps us process life’s hardest questions. The statue of David becomes a metaphor for fragility, permanence, and what we choose to preserve. An unnamed tour guide leads the audience on what appears to be a private tour of Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze. As the guide shares the fascinating history and precarious physical condition of the famous sculpture, the tour quietly gives way to grief, as they confide the death of their son and the story becomes profoundly personal.
NOTE: There will be a talk-back session with with playwright, Jason Odell Williams, following the Friday, February 27 performance.
Directed by Craig Wells
Running time: 75 minutes with no intermission.
NEW THIS SEASON!
Opening Night – Thursday, February 26
DESTROYING DAVID: a triumph at Dezart Performs. Suffice it to say, that if you enjoy thought-provoking, intelligently written, wonderfully directed and amazingly acted theatre, do not allow yourself to miss DESTROYING DAVID.
"This is a rare and extraordinary experience. To give you an idea of how emotionally exhausting (in a good way) [ALEISHA] Force’s performance is, I could not get up when the play was over. That has never happened to me before.
A once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience. The journey unfolds with surprises at every turn, leaving spectators captivated, hearts pounding and yes, eyes welling with tears. Every detail combines to create a powerful, unforgettable experience
Feb 26 2026 - Mar 08 2026
Show TimesNEW! Thursday Opening Night
Thursday, February 26 - 7:00 PM
ALL PERFORMANCES
Thursday - 7:00 PM
Friday - 7:00 PM
Saturday - 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Sunday - 2:00 PM
DEZART PLAYHOUSE
605 S. Riverside Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
Ticket Info
$78 (includes fees)
NEW! Thursday Opening Night (with post-show reception)
Thursday, February 26
$69 (includes fees)
Regular Matinee/Evening Performances
Thursday-Sunday
TICKET PURCHASES
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The Cast
Aleisha Force (You)
Aleisha is a Texas native and began as a high school speech teacher in Houston (Go Cats!). She was last onstage with Lean Ensemble in THE ROOMMATE and before that understudied Amy Brenneman and Julie Bowen in FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT at The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Some favorite roles elsewhere: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA (Virginia Shakes), NORMALCY (Theatre East, NYC), FAT PIG (Dallas Theatre Center), OTHELLO (Greer Garson Theatre, Dallas), ROE, HUMAN INTEREST STORY (Fountain Theatre, LA), SUMMER, 1976 (Lean Ensemble, Hilton Head) and you may have seen her in HAND TO GOD at Coachella Valley Rep in 2023. She can be seen on TV in THIS IS US (NBC), FOR ALL MANKIND (Apple TV), IN THE CUT (Bounce TV) and MONSTER Season 3 (Netflix). Education: MFA/SMU,The Groundlings (Dallas) and UCB (NYC). She dedicates this show to Collin McCann, her oldest friend. He and Janelle understand art and loss in a way that no one should.
