Mayland Ensemble Theatre To Present THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT

"How can you even for a moment claim that facts are negotiable?" Fingal's boss has given him a big assignment: to apply his fact-checking skills to a groundbreaking piece by legendary author D'Agata. But now Fingal has a huge problem: D'Agata made up a lot of his article. What starts professionally quickly becomes profane in this witty comedy based on the true story of D'Agata's essay What Happens There.

This will be Mayland Ensemble Theatre (MET)'s first mainstage production of the 2022-2023 season and the first to be hosted on the Beth Williams & Bob Herbertson Stage inside the Robin Drummond MainStage Theatre at MET! MET promises to deliver on this special 25th anniversary season with courageous, thought-provoking shows that insprire a passion for the arts and connect patrons to community. The Lifespan of a Fact explores that truths we accept, journalistic integrity, and the lengths we are willing to go to tell a good story.

The playwrights took minor liberties when basing a play on the book of the same title, just as the writers of that book took creative license with the exchange that happened as they fact-checked the essay on which The Lifespan of a Fact (the book) was written. This seems fair since John D'Agata's beautiful essay certainly has its share of small inaccuracies. Without them, this production would never have come to exist.

Theatre is timely. Yes, good plays withstand the passing of time, but theatre as an art form has always held up the mirror to society. None of us has escaped the "fact wars" as they have played out in politics, the media, and our family dinners, sometimes creating chasms that seem too vast to be mended. It's exhausting. Why, then, would we want to bring up this debate on our stage to open our 25th season?

Simply put, it's a MET play! It's witty, provocative, biting, and timely. MET certainly doesn't shy away from political issues, but this play raises the debate without taking sides while staying away from politics altogether. It's the perfect play for this moment in time. It has the ability to do what great plays do; evoke a conversation! And isn't that what we all need right now?

Running September 30 - OCtober 30. Performance will begin promptly at 8PM, run approximately 90 minutes in length, and will be performed without an intermission. For mature audiences and contains a trigger warning regarding grief and loss of life.

To post a comment, you must register and login.