What is more important to a non-fiction writer: accuracy or truth? Is it the same for journalists? What is the truth versus perception? These were the questions raised by Riverside Theatre’s production of “The Lifespan of a Fact.”
“The Lifespan of a Fact” is based on a book co-written by The University of Iowa’s own nonfiction program director John D’Agata. It details the story of an intern for a magazine in New York, Jim Fingal, played by Elijah J. Jones, who has been told to fact-check an essay written by D’Agata, played by Martin Andrews, about a teenage boy’s suicide. However, many of the facts are slight truths or entirely made up, creating a difficult job for Fingal.
“The Lifespan of a Fact” began its journey as an essay when Fingal was assigned the role of fact-checking D’Agata’s original work. This essay was eventually published in 2010 in The Believer magazine. From this, D’Agata and Fingal decided to dramatize their lives and turn this event into a book published in 2012.
The story was then picked up by playwrights Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell, who brought the show to Broadway in 2018.
“I thought it was a really compelling dramatization of something that can otherwise be seen as tedious or difficult to bring to life,” attendee May Teng said.
For the production, Riverside Theatre Artistic Producing Director Adam Knight had several preconceived notions coming into the show.
“I had my own images of what an adaptation would be and what it would feel and look like, and then picking up the play a year or two later, it took me a while to warm up to it because the play is very different,” Knight said.
This didn’t stifle any creativity, as Iowa City’s production is one of the only ones to have two levels to the stage.
On the stage, there were three distinct locations. On the bottom level, there were two offices in New York City, one with papers askew and the other neatly put together, and on the top level, there was a home office in Las Vegas, harboring several random pieces of furniture and a small desk with a lamp.
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At a turning point in the show, when Fingal decides to fly out to Las Vegas to confront D’Agata, these three locations turn into an office, two living rooms, and a kitchen. These eventually turn into D’Agata’s home office, living room, and kitchen when Emily Penrose, the editor of the magazine, portrayed by Megan Gogerty, also flies to Las Vegas.
As for the staging, the days were marked by a projection on the back wall, as well as slight costume changes that were performed on stage as the lights went dark.
Behind the scenes, the actors and director worked with D’Agata. This production was put together quickly, as in-person rehearsals began on April 2, where all the actors were essentially off book, and the opening performance was April 18.
“[D’Agata] thinks it works when the productions find the comedy,” Knight said. “He encouraged us to not be too precious with honoring the biography of the characters.”
Besides encouraging the actors, audience members were encouraged to think about how they would tackle the issue.
“If I had to choose, I would fix the important mistakes, but not like the color of the bricks, and then I would publish it,” attendee Mary Grace Austin said.
After the performance, the theater hosted a talk-back with D’Agata and Knight about their opinions on the book and the play. Here, they discussed whether or not the fictional Emily would have published the story, concluding that the answer changes nearly every night.