DETC’s LIFESPAN OF A FACT: A GREAT PLAY ABOUT CONTORTION AND DISTORTION OF REALITY
by June August
As a former student of theater critic Elliott Norton, I ask you to bear with me if I stray from the traditional protocols of reviewing. You’ll notice right off that I use the American English spelling of “theater.” I want you to know that when I take my seat— either as a paying member of the audience or as a reviewer--I am prepared to look for all the good things in the production I am about to see. Although I can boast of more than 75 years of experience in theater as an actor, writer, and director, I am not an academic, a scholar, or an expert on the world of theater as a whole. Therefore, my intent is to provide enough information from my point of view so you’re equipped to form your own opinion.
Lifespan of a Fact by Jeremy Kareken, David Merrill and Gordon Farrell, is a dramatized version of a book by authors John D’Agata and Jim Fingal. D’Agata and Gingal, who are also characters in the play, based their book on the true story of D’Agata’s essay “What Happens There.” The happening is the suicide of a teenage boy. “There” is Las Vegas.
Does that sound dark? It could be, but it isn’t. The 90-minute DETC production running at Desert Ensemble Theatre’s space in the Palm Springs Cultural Center is enlightening, compelling, humorous, and entertaining. In a word: outstanding. There are still tickets online for performances on February 2-4.
Director David Youse fulfilled his mission by presenting us with a large world on a simple set in a small performing space through the riveting performances of John Corr (Jim Fingal), Christine Tringali-Nunes (Emily Penrose), and Chuck Yates (John D’Agata). I appreciate the work of a director whose creative vision transcends physical limitations.
Fingal, an inexperienced but gung-ho intern assigned by magazine editor Emily to fact-check an article by D’Agata, is determined to earn his bones. Emily is invested in accuracy since she wants D’Agata’s piece to be her legacy article. This should be an easy assignment for Fingal, who can use his familiarity with online research sites to complete the assignment. And after all, facts are facts. Are they not?
Armed with pages of corrections found in his research, Fingal arrives at the home of D’Agata. The writer immediately takes control by correcting Fingal—asserting that his piece is an essay, not an article. Having turned the tables on Fingal, fireworks begin. The more discrepancies Fingal points out, the more D’Agata stands firm by his choice of “facts.” Next steps: summon Emily to mediate.
And now the play reveals how seemingly insignificant details become “facts” according to one’s personal agenda and the prisms through which information is viewed.
Rewind to January 2017. In a Meet the Press interview, then-presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway evaded a question about a specific factual issue with her contention that “alternative facts” exist. What? The truth about that issue was not contested—until then. Ever since the term alternative facts slithered into the vernacular, it has become a Top Ten Technique for dispensing misinformation—a constant threat to the integrity of journalism and elections. Politicians promulgate that technique to exacerbate confusion. Once we doubt truth and embrace propaganda or, worse, believe nothing, we become pawns of the propagandists.
But what’s important here is the production. One: thumbs up on the tech. Two: the actors. I became an admirer of John Corr’s from his performances in Salty and Kafka’s Joke. I reconfirm that admiration. John brings an endearing quality to his work that makes him a stand-out in our theater community. I have seen Christine in only one other production. Her crisp portrayal of Emily Penrose reminded me of the talent she brings to the stage.
Chuck Yates history in the Coachella Valley personifies the heart and soul of what a theater community can be. I miss Coyote Stage. As John D’Agata, Chuck demonstrates his brilliance. Every gesture, every interaction, every facial expression contributes to the honesty of his performance. What a gift!
So now, I leave you to form your own conclusions and opinions. But remember: Alternative facts are wrong. The only thing that matters is Truth.
Photos: NATHAN COX
The Lifespan of a Fact will run for four more performances, on Friday, February 2nd, at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 3rd, at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; and Sunday, February 4th, at 2:00pm. Performances take place at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (the Camelot Theaters), 2300 East Baristo Road, Palm Springs, CA. 92262 (across Baristo Road from Palm Springs High School). Tickets are $41.25 with service fee. Contact the theatre by email at DETCTheatre@gmail.com, call 760-565-2476 for tickets or more information, or consult the web site, www.desertensembletheatre.org. The snail mail address is PO Box 2885, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
The rest of Desert Ensemble Theatre’s 2023-24 productions consist of:
ELLIE, by Bruce Bonafede (World premiere). Directed by Howard Shangraw. (March 8–10 & 15–17, 2024)
Brothers Richard and Warren are grieving the death of one of their wives. Their mourning sparks a confrontation that lays bare their life-long love/hate relationship and changes their lives forever. Bruce Bonafede, an award-winning, Desert-based playwright, wrote this riveting drama for DET company member Richard Marlow, who will star alongside Abe Daniels.
SHERLOCK HOLMES CONFIDENTIAL by Tony Padilla. (World premiere). Directed by Jerome Elliott Moskowitz. (April 12–14 and 19–21).
In an alternative version of the Holmes origin story, a spurned romance leads to someone threatening to unmask the young detective as a fraud. Starring Thomas Elliot Fisk, Barbara Kerr, Katrina Dixon, and Justin Ledesma.