By KEN KLINGENMEIER
A Seat on the Aisle
Recently, Mrs. K and I traveled to Downtown Indianapolis to the Phoenix Cultural Centre for a preview performance of American Lives Theatre’s The Lifespan of a Fact. The play was written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, adapted from a magazine article, and a subsequent book, by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal. This production marks the Indiana premiere of the material, which opened in NYC in September 2018 and ran for 101 performances.
Chris Saunders directs the ALT version, framing the story with the talents of Eva Patton as magazine editor Emily Penrose, Joe Wagner as her young fact checker Jim Fingal, and Lukas Felix Schooler as essayist John D’Agata. The plot is driven by the notion that each character thinks/feels differently about the matter of absolute truth versus an artistic or more beneficial version of the truth. The piece asks the question – “Are facts negotiable?”
The Lifespan of a Fact has a simple enough storyline: editor Penrose needs have an important, timely essay by noted writer D’Agata to be fact-checked in time for publication in three or four days. Eager, young intern Fingal is assigned the task. Conflict and complications arise when Fingal tackles the job with a sharpened moral compass for truth and writes over 100 pages of correction notes for D’Agata’s 15-page essay – and there is merit to many of his challenges.
This aggravates both the author and the editor, opening a three-way dispute filled with humor, tactics, and a lot of interesting conversation concerning the narrow line dividing absolute and fabricated facts in reporting.
All three cast members shine in their portrayals. The roles give each of them a lot to chew on and be affected by. Joe Wagner’s eager-to-please Jim Fingal is the fact checker from Hades, questioning every possibly off-set word or idea. Lukas Felix Schooler, stricken with a myriad of emotions, has his essay and his writing style put through Fingal’s grinder. Eva Patton’s Emily is strong and slow to burn as she is caught in the middle of this intellectual battle with her magazine at stake.
Kerry Lee Chipman’s set design is simple yet more than sufficient in the smallish Basile black box space. The original music by Aidan Sturgeon is haunting in a satisfying way (although the volume setting when used as a bed for dialogue makes that communication difficult). Mr. Saunders’ direction is clean and never obstructs the storytelling, allowing the actors a fairly free rein.
Bottom line: The Lifespan of a Fact is a thought-provoking, and intelligent piece – made more enjoyable, to me at least, in the knowledge that it is based on a true incident. It poses a lot of important questions, but cleverly leaves us to figure out the answers on our own. It was definitely a show Mrs. K and I talked about on the way home. Highly recommended!
American Lives Theatre’s The Lifespan of a Fact runs at Basile Theatre in the Phoenix Culture Centre through Sept. 25. Ticket information can be found at americanlivestheatre.org.