Palm Springs' Desert Ensemble Theatre presents 'The Lifespan of a Fact'

Is a fact the same as the truth?

That question led to a debate over a magazine article that has now spanned more than two decades: a discussion at the heart of “The Lifespan of a Fact” at Desert Ensemble Theatre (DET).

Facts versus creative license

In 2003, Harper’s Magazine commissioned American essayist John D’Agata to write a story about the suicide of a Las Vegas teenager. After discovering errors and after discussions with D’Agata about his literary approach to the story, Harper’s decided not to run it.

When The Believer magazine offered to publish the essay, Jim Fingal, a recent Harvard graduate, was assigned to be the fact checker.

What followed was a yearslong debate between D’Agata and Fingal about truth in literary non-fiction. After the article was finally published in January 2010, D’Agata and Fingal co-wrote a 2012 book containing an early draft of the essay with notes from both about the fact-checking process.

In October 2018, “The Lifespan of a Fact” premiered on Broadway. Written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, the play is about the publication of the article, the definition of nonfiction, and the importance of facts versus creative license.

Art and interpretation

Performed without an intermission, the play takes place over the course of a weekend just before a publishing deadline. Essayist John D’Agata is played by Chuck Yates. Fact checker Jim Fingal is portrayed by John Corr. A third character is fictional: editor-in-chief Emily Penrose, played by Christine Tringali Nunes, will ultimately decide whether to publish the essay.

Director David Youse describes the play as “a really wonderful comedy about facts and how far we can go with creative licensing.”

He added, “In a time when alternate facts are within our society, I think it's really important to decide: is a fact a fact? Or, if you're writing, where do you go with creative license?”

Do details lead you to the truth?

Chuck Yates observed that the play captures the debate over the difference between being an essayist and a journalist.

“My character considers himself an essayist,” he said. “And that is not journalism.”

He added: “He doesn't behold himself to every detail. He writes to what he calls the truth of the story, which is more about emotion.”

And, he noted, “Details are details, and they’re not necessarily a story. He says that in the play.”

Stepping onto the stage at the Palm Springs Cultural Center will have special meaning for Yates. As founding artistic director of Coyote StageWorks, Yates and his colleagues partnered with the Cultural Center to turn “theatre three into a theater.”

Coyote StageWorks had just moved into that space when the pandemic hit, leading to the cancellation of their second production and their season. The company ultimately closed.

But Yates said he is proud that “a torch was passed,” with DET and The Bent now staging productions in that theater.

A true believer

To actor John Corr, fact checker Jim Fingal views himself as “a defender of factual accuracy as the measure of whether or not something is worth publishing.”

He added: “He’s such an optimist at the beginning. And then, as he dives deeper into the work, it spiraled out of control a little bit.”

Corr believes John D’Agato wrote the essay to engage an audience “by making it as detailed and rich as possible.”

But after reviewing the essay, fact checker Jim Fingal discovered that details had been changed or altered.

“That’s what their conversations are all about,” said Corr.

According to Corr, Jim Fingal — the real man and the character — is saying: “So there are no rules, you get to just put words in people's mouths, and you're quoting interviews but they're not real quotes. They might not even be real people. What are we doing?”

A responsibility to question

John Corr noted that essayist John D’Agata and fact checker Jim Fingle are both “deeply invested in getting it right.”

Speaking as his character, Corr added, “We come to understand that we're both fighting for the same thing, which is to honor what the story is. I see that as by accurately telling the facts as they were, and he sees that as whatever moves your soul to understand the truth better.”

Corr noted, “I hope it starts the conversation of ‘what is the balance?’ At what point, during your storytelling, does the embellishment turn into a lie? And how do we keep each other in check with that?”

Chuck Yates observed that “You and I could go sit by side by side and watch this play, and you may think one thing and I may think another. And who's wrong?”

In a world of social media and 24-hour news cycles, director David Youse hopes audiences will recognize one fact above all.

“We live in a world where you now have to question everything,” he said. “And I think it's every individual's responsibility to decide — for yourself — whether what you're reading is the truth or is a lie.”

If you go

What: Desert Ensemble Theatre presents "The Lifespan of a Fact"

When: Friday performances at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday performances at 2 p.m. Jan. 26-28 and Feb. 2-4

Where: Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs

Cost: $37.50

More info: desertensembletheatre.org

Barbara Kerr is an award-winning writer and journalist with a passion for stories about people, the arts and special events. Inducted into the Dayton (Ohio) Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame, she is a past chair of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) College of Fellows.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs' Desert Ensemble Theatre staging 'The Lifespan of a Fact'