Robert Walters

On my vacation in Italy, I discovered a little known story about a competition between Michelangelo and DaVinci in Florence. Two frescoes. One room. One major artistic battle between these two fierce rivals.

This was 1503, the height of the Renaissance. I dug into serious research and found a ton of information about the battle and the two paintings. And, thus, Battle for the Standard was born.

As a writer, there was only one medium for this story. A play. Two main characters battling head-to-head fit perfectly on the stage. But then I discovered in my research Raphael was in Florence at the same time.

Raphael was only a teenager but had been gaining popularity in artistic circles. He came to Florence to study the works of Michelangelo, DaVinci and other artists. He even met Maestro Leonardo. That meeting is well documented in history.

So, what if Raphael had been involved in this competition? Not as a competitor but as an apprentice.

This is where I began my play. I put Raphael squarely into the workshops of both Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo during the height of their popularity. The battle between the two artists was equivalent to a heavyweight boxing match.

The entire Republic of Italy chose sides, traveled to the city to see the artists at work and even got to vote on the early sketches of the frescoes. This frenzied circus atmosphere is the heart of my play.

I wish I were a clever enough writer to make this stuff up. It’s all true. In fact, the battle story is entirely true with a very small dose of “what if” thrown in to boost the drama. If you like art and history, you will love this play.

Battle for the Standard, produced by Stateside Productions, plays three performances: Oct. 29-31, Fri.-Sun., 8 pm. Tickets: $10-$15. Studio City Stage, 11101 Ventura Blvd., Studio City; 818.795.9220, 323.960.7770 or plays411.com/standard.