Photos and Review by Dana Nöllsch
Michelle and I had the distinct pleasure of seeing “lifespan of a Fact” at Restless Artist Theater, and I have to say that this play is outstanding!
“The Lifespan of a Fact” is based on the book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal chronicling the true story of John d’Agata’s essay, “What Happens There,” about the Las Vegas suicide of teenager Levi Presley. Jim Fingal, assigned to fact check the piece, ignited a seven-year debate on the blurred lines of what passes for truth in literary non-fiction.
“The Lifespan of a Fact” is part funny and part cerebrally challenging, asking the question, where do journalistic ethics and good storytelling meet, and can that blending be successful? We have a writer, a fact-checker, and an editor battling with that very question in the story. Although there is no answer in the play, there are many thought-provoking questions that will fuel the audience’s conversations for some time after watching “The Lifespan of a Fact.”
RAT’s production of “The Lifespan of a Fact” is masterfully performed by Ron Flesher, JJ Mungcal, and Wendy Feign. This ensemble cast brings the story to life with a passion for the more profound questions of ethics.
If I rated this on a scale of one to ten, it would be a very solid nine as I was indeed highly entertained as well as moved to ask myself some of the ethical questions that have followed the entirety of my adult life.
“The Lifespan of a Fact”
Written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell
Directed by D. A. Mishler
Cast:
Ron Flesher .. John d’Agata
Jim Fingal .. JJ Mungcal
Emily Penrose .. Wendy Feign
“The Lifespan of a Fact” is playing at Restless Artist Theater through March 14, 2022
For more information, go to RAT’s website: http://rattheatre.org/
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