“Lifespan of a Fact” is based on a true story that dives deep into journalistic ethics and how writers take liberties with topics, and facts, that may – or may not – be a good thing.
The play is based on a book of the same name, and the play’s characters are the book’s real-life authors. They battle one another on whether individual anecdotes – people’s lived experiences – should trump or equal hard, cold facts.
Essayist John D’Agata’s character rationalizes his “literary hubris” and, ultimately, what fact-checker Jim Fingal calls factual errors. D’Agata’s perspective is one of post-modernist reasoning: If people experience something, that is real to them and therefore “factual” enough for a lay audience.
The logic, from 2002, doesn’t track in 2023 when publications are heavily scrutinized or simply dismissed for being slanted or having a perceived bias – indeed, all news publications. Publications if anything should attempt to base their reporting – even literary essays – on facts with a strive toward accuracy.
D’Agata maintains, however, that creative license is equally valid to tell a deeper story.
Without giving away spoilers, the story is based on a real-life suicide that occurred in Las Vegas and the subsequent essay by D’Agata about the situation. Harper’s Magazine would not print the essay, but an ultimately fact-checked version was picked up by another publication.
The play is enjoyable and humorous, and the discussion alone is worth attending. It is a remarkable story – both the tragic death and the lasting debate about how to contextualize suicide for a mass audience.
Note: Bruka issues a content warning for talk of suicide:
“The Lifespan of a Fact is suitable for adults and older teenage audiences. Characters lock horns in a debate of fact vs. fiction, and they drop some F-bombs in the process. Their explosive tête-à-têtes feature other mature themes, including discussions of suicide.”
Details
Actors
- Bob Ives as essayist John D’Agata
- Kathy Welch as editor Emily Penrose
- Ryan Corrigan as fact-checking Jim Fingal
Director
David Richards
Tickets: $30 here: https://www.simpletix.com/e/lifespan-of-a-fact-tickets-114248
Dates
Jan. 20 through Feb. 11
CORRECTION: The play runs through Feb. 11, not the 28th, as originally reported.
