The Lifespan of a Fact is based on the true story of John D’Agata’s essay “What Happens There.” Jim Fingal is a fact-checker for one of the best magazines in the country and is told by his boss Emily Penrose to fact-check a piece by legendary author John D’Agata. Fingal’s job is challenging as D’Agata has taken many liberties with the facts. The three of them soon find themselves in a room together, coming to grips with just what makes a good story and what the facts have to do with it.
“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.
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