The Lifespan of a Fact at Keegan Theatre

The Lifespan of a Fact

Keegan Theatre
1742 Church Street, NW Washington

Jim Fingal is a fresh-out-of-Harvard fact checker for a prominent but sinking New York magazine. John D'Agata is a talented writer with a transcendent essay about the suicide of a teenage boy - an essay that could save the magazine from collapse. When Jim is assigned to fact check D'Agata's essay, the two come head to head in a comedic yet gripping battle over facts versus truth.

Thru - Feb 25, 2023

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 8:00pm

Sundays: 3:00pm

Show Type: Comedy/Drama

Box Office: 703-892-0202

keegantheatre.com

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The Lifespan of a Fact Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Recommended

"...The duration of the real-life argument between writer John D'Agata and fact-checker Jim Fingal over the content of D'Agata's piece about the suicide of a teenage boy in Las Vegas was, in fact, seven years. The Lifespan of a Fact, by Jeremy Kraeken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, now playing at The Keegan Theatre, compresses their acrimony into five days. The play becomes a cautionary tale about the ways self-involved people can make a controversy more about their egos than the principles they articulate."

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- Bob Ashby

DCist - Somewhat Recommended

"...Lifespan (incredibly based on a true story) has interesting things to say about which details are most important. The snippets of prose from the problematic essay are lovely and moving, and some things Fingal questions are aggressively pedantic. But it suffers from the bothsidesism many accuse journalists of becoming prey to. The authors further stack the deck by wrapping Fingal in a host of "kids these days"-type cliches: he asks for espresso (by now, it should probably be oat milk) when offered coffee, and craft IPA (should probably be High Noon) when offered booze."

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- Missy Frederick

MetroWeekly - Recommended

"...The Lifespan of a Fact, an engaging drama by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell, dives right into the abyss in search of what’s true within a soon-to-be-published, nonfiction essay that’s potentially full of fudged facts and fabrications."

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- Andre Hereford

Washington City Paper - Recommended

"...Director Susan Marie Rhea deftly handles the transition from workplace farce, complete with one liners and slapstick, to the ethics of telling the truth when the subject is suicide. But as much as Fingal’s character is represented as being comically overeager to check if the color of bricks, traffic patterns, and even the prepositions are factually correct, he is allowed to make the most prophetic comment on the role of facts: In the internet age, a critical mass of falsehoods, whether by accident, in pursuit of a holistic “truth,” or with malice, can launch a thousand conspiracy theorists."

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- Ian Thal

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"..."The Lifespan of a Fact" presents important questions about the use of language to clarify or obscure the truth. I wish the authors had allowed themselves more space to dissect and reveal what is most important about journalism and all story telling. I, for one, would be happy to spend two hours or more in the theatre."

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- Nancy Blum

BroadwayWorld - Recommended

"...In a world of fake news, alternate facts, social media frenzy and an increasingly opinionated and polarized public/audience, the issues raised in the intellectually challenging play The Lifespan of a Fact are more relevant than ever. Now being presented at the Keegan Theatre, this play may be short in length, but it probingly explores the weighty issues of the passion of the essay writer/prose stylist versus the scrupulous and zealous fact-checking of the journalist/article writer."

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- David Friscic

The Lifespan of a Fact at Keegan Theatre