Review: LIFESPAN OF A FACT at Desert Ensemble Theatre

In this day and age of 24-hour News coverage, it’s getting harder and harder to decipher fact from deceptive fiction sensationalism. Theatre is meant to make us think, and this play does just that. Desert Ensemble Theatre (DET) is unique for the bold and innovative productions they produce. From their past offerings, it is easy to see why they have become one of the credible entertainment destinations. A nod to Executive Producers Shawn Abramowitz, and Jerome Elliot Moskowitz for giving this desert continuous good quality theatre with substance. 

The play, LIFESPAN OF A FACT, a hit on Broadway in 2018, is based on a book by Jim Fingal and John D’Agata that detailed their personal experience preparing a magazine essay for publication in 2003. The experienced D’Agata is a talented writer with a transcendent essay about the suicide of a teenage boy -- an essay that could save a New York magazine from collapse. When Jim is assigned to fact-check D’Agata’s essay, the two come head to head in a gripping battle over facts versus truth.

Stepping back to observe the source material this is a perfect showcase for three strong actors to dig in and show their worth.

Director David Youse has indeed assembled three of the top-tier actors in the desert to make this journey come to life. Youse keeps the pace moving quickly. Every peel of this emotionally charged onion is clear and concise. Based on the reaction of our audience there seems to be a little less comedy than promised, but the strength of the material was the driving force that kept the audience intrigued.

John Corr as Jim Fingal lives up to his growing reputation as a solid leading man who seems to own every role he steps in. As Fingal the fresh-out-of-Harvard millennial fact-checker he is natural in his unwavering attention to details and facts. Much like actor Tom Hanks when you see that Corr is in a production you know he was very discerning before accepting the role.

Christine Tingali Nunes is another talent that you know immediately will help to raise the professional bar even further. During her performance as Emily Penrose the hyper-focused and demanding editor of a high-end, but sinking, New York Magazine she seem to be a bit off from time to time in delivering the multiple pages of dialog required of her. This in no way diminishes her abilities, or her performance, because Nunes is a seasoned professional who continued right on without hesitation. With the amount of rapid-fire dialog all three actors have to execute on a Saturday matinee and evening show it is enviable to watch a skillfully trained actor rise above it.

Chuck Yates is a well-respected actor, producer, director, and theatre educator who brings all of that background with him when he enters the stage. His years of experience set the tone perfectly for the role of John D’Agata; Yates’ suitably gruff, arrogant, and intractable demeanor, as he becomes defensive of young Jim questioning his years of experience, is just right. His deft handling of the other two characters is clear and multi-layered. Especially when he talks to them about a living-room chair, it is beautifully moving. 

Should the Essay be published as is?  Should the truth be told honestly or embellished?   The intense conflict of morality, truth, and fabrication for literary sake was displayed equally strong by the trio: Corr and Yates with Nunes firmly stuck in the middle. As each of them makes their case the interaction forced many of us in the audience to flip-flop in changing our minds several times throughout this 90-minute power struggle. The writing was strong enough to demand that we consider what is at stake, and when that moment comes each character has to grapple with his, or her, own conscience. Corr’s emotional reaction once again confirms his gifted ability to make every breathing moment of his character authentic.

Scenic Designer Tom Valach keeps his design minimal, open, and functional allowing the actors to effortlessly move from one living space to another. 

In a world where there are alternative facts clouding our societal judgment, there is a collective cry for credible fact-checking. Truthful media and respected journalists are not the enemy of the people. This important and compelling story should not be missed. It is so thought-provoking that the idea of inconvenient, easily manipulated, facts still resonates long after the curtain call.  

Continuing through February 2–4, 2024. Curtain times are 7:30 pm Friday, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday, and 2:00 pm Sunday. DET is located at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Rd. in Palm Springs. Tickets are $37.50 and are available at www.desertensembletheatre.org. For more information, call (760) 565-2476.

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