Written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Gordon Farrell
Directed by Estelle Miller
Produced by Richard Atha-Nicholls
Performance Dates:
October 21 – November 12, 2022
Run time: 95m,
no intermission
"Why let the facts get in the way of a good story?" as the old adage goes. And yes, that is the central dilemma of this play that hurtles through a few crucial days in the lives of writer John D'Agata, fact-checker Jim Fingal and editor Emily Penrose. Two opposing ideologies collide in a battle of two stubborn and highly intellectual combatants, while we are forced to ask ourselves where we stand. Facts are facts and there is no evading them, according to Jim. Or can facts be manipulated if they artistically enhance the telling of the story, John poses. Anyone who has never told a lie has never told a good story… Emily resides as judge and jury over the proceedings and it will ultimately be her call whether to publish the essay or not, as we draw ever closer to the Monday morning deadline. The Lifespan of a Fact is based on the stirring true story of John D'Agata’s essay, “What Happens There,” about the Las Vegas suicide of teenager Levi Presley. Jim Fingal, assigned to fact check the piece, ignited a seven-year debate on the blurred lines of what passes for truth in literary non-fiction.
To download the production postcard for The Lifespan of a Fact to share with your friends, visit the Downloads page of our website and look under the Production Postcard heading. A PDF of the production playbill is also available in the same location.
About the Director
Estelle Miller first began her involvement in the "stage" at age 4! Yes, age 4! That was more than ...well, a long time ago! Being brought up in New York and Brooklyn afforded her the opportunity to see and enjoy many Broadway and off Broadway productions. These experiences kept tickling her need to be part of this amazing cultural environment. She has directed locally for many years and is proud to say that a few of her productions have won awards for the talent that was brought to the stage. Estelle’s theatre family has always brought her great joy and she feels very blessed to be "back at it" again.
About the Authors
Gordon Farrell - Trained as a playwright at the Yale School of Drama, Gordon received an MFA in 1986 and went from there to work with major Hollywood studios, initially as a story analyst for Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures, and eventually as a screenwriter. He has written for hire and sold screenplays to Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers, MGM, and ITC. As a playwright, from 2009 to 2013, Gordon worked with dozens of women on New York's Lower East Side who wanted to tell their personal stories on stage. The series of monologue plays that grew out of it was called In The Red Room/Every Woman Dances for Someone. In May 2019 the fully dramatized version, Girls Who Walked on Glass, played to SRO houses and rave reviews in Buffalo and was scheduled to transfer to New York City in 2020. His other plays have been produced in San Francisco, at the Alleyway Theatre, at the Yale School of Drama, and at Primary Stages in New York. He is the author of "The Power of the Playwright's Vision," published by Heinemann Press in 2001. It has been translated internationally and become a standard playwriting text at colleges and universities in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Jeremy Kareken - Jeremy is a playwright living in New York and Baltimore. His short plays Hot Rod, Big Train, and 80 Cards have been performed around the country and internationally. He served as a speech writer and policy analyst for two presidential campaigns. Born and raised in Rochester, New York, and a graduate of the University of Chicago, he has taught at NYU, NYIT, the Actors Studio Drama School, and currently teaches at the Acting Studio—New York. A lifetime member of The Actors Studio, Jeremy occasionally acts and for 18 years served as the researcher for Bravo TV’s “Inside the Actors Studio.”
David Murrell - David was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and the University of Chicago, currently lives in Queens, and has written a sea chest's worth of TV and film treatments and spec scripts. Access Theater (NYC) and the Cleveland Public Theatre each produced his play Ductwork and the Hamptons Film Festival Screenwriters Conference selected his and Jeremy Kareken’s feature screenplay about haunted breast implants, “These! Conquered the Earth.” In 2019, the Outer Critics Circle co-awarded David its John Gassner Playwriting Award for The Lifespan of a Fact.
Director's Notes
How negotiable is fact? Society has been asking this question from the beginning of time but has an answer ever been found? Our delicious play asks this question. Does it finally answer it? Joining us on this journey may answer that question for you or it may not! However, you will be greatly entertained by three incredibly talented actors as they unfold this argument and attempt to define the word "fact". Enjoy!
- ESTELLE MILLER
The Cast
Matthew Rigby (Jim Fingal) - Matt is very excited to perform in The Lifespan of a Fact! Matt has lived in Maryland for just over a year, but he has found a great family in the Annapolis theater community. He has been involved in productions non-stop since last October both as an actor and as a member of the crew. His most recent acting role was in ASGT’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone as George, best man to the groom, where for 17.5 shows he danced in the moonlight with his castmates. In this production, he plays the fact-checker Jim Fingal, who is reviewing a well-written, but error-riddled essay. In the spirit of fact-checking and accuracy, here are some more facts about Matt! Fact: This is Matt’s 20th theater production, and 5th production with The Colonial Players. Fact: Matt has memorized 360 lines for this role. Fact: Matt wrote this biography to be 174 words long. Fact: Matt would like to thank his grandmother for her constant support. Her kindness and generosity are truly inspiring.
Timothy Sayles (John D’Agata) - Tim has been acting in community theater, mostly at The Colonial Players, since 2008. He last appeared on the CP stage as Walt Bates in the 2020 production of Book of Days. In addition to many non-musical plays, he has also been known to sing a song or two at CP — notably as Daddy Warbucks in Annie and John Dickinson in 1776. In this play, Tim finds the role John D'Agata, a magazine essayist, particularly tasty — since his own day job for most of the last 40 years has been that of magazine editor. He is thrilled to be back on stage with the delightful and talented Mary Rogers, and has genuinely enjoyed working with Matt Rigby — who, he points out, is not nearly as much of a pain in the tookus as Jim Fingal. Most of all, Tim wants to thank Estelle Miller, a marvelous and inspiring director, for trusting him to bring John D’Agata to life, and the love of his life, Lauren, for bearing with his rehearsal angst — all while preparing herself and her daughter Lily for roles in The Sound of Music at the Bowie Playhouse this fall. Lauren and Tim share a house in Pasadena with Lily, Pumpkin the hamster, and the much-photographed tortico kitty sisters Eleanor (Roosevelt) and Ruth (Bader Ginsburg).
Mary C. Rogers (Emily Penrose) - Mary returns to The Colonial Players of Annapolis having performed last season in The Revolutionists as Olympe de Gouges. She has worked onstage, backstage and everywhere in between with a number of community theaters in Maryland. Some of Mary's favorite roles include Maggie in Red Herring, Aunt Bella in Lost in Yonkers (WATCH nomination), and Billy Dawn in Born Yesterday. Mary would like to thank Austin, our Assistant Stage Manager. For Abner.
The Production Staff
Richard Atha-Nicholls (Producer) Richard has thoroughly enjoyed producing The Lifespan of a Fact for director Estelle Miller. He is usually found in the tech booth designing sound/projections or designing and programming the video stream camera cuts. His sound designs have garnered two WATCH nominations. Richard has appeared on area stages and in his spare time helps run Discworld® conventions. He will be directing the Colonial Players’ production of The Book of Will opening February 24, 2023. Love to C, A, P & K. Always in my heart, O.!
Eric Gasior (Lighting Designer) Eric is delighted to be working with the Colonial Players for the first time since the 2014 production of A Christmas Carol. Eric has designed lighting for Fluid Movement and other community theaters in Baltimore, Laurel, and Greenbelt. He has also been the technical director for the science fiction and fantasy convention Balticon for eight years.
Hannah Housley (Stage Manager) Hannah is thrilled to be backstage again! Her most recent exploits at CP include stage managing By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, and crewing for The Revolutionists. Over the summer she could be found many a night backstage at ASGT. Outside of the theater, Hannah is a full-time student at AACC and general biology nerd. Thank you to all of the phenomenal people who have seen me through my time at CP over the last 4 years. For the love of it!
Edd Miller (Set Designer) Edd has worked with the Colonial Players for over fifty years. Actor — The Lost Boy, Director — Going to St Ives (WATCH award), Set designer — Chapter Two (WATCH nominated) as well as painter, set construction, usher etc. are only some of the joys he has shared over the years.
Abigail Traverson (Costume Designer) This is Abigail's first show as a costume designer and she is enthusiastic to work with such a great team. She has always had an interest in clothing design and is excited to be a part of this show as a costume designer. Abigail studied theater at Anne Arundel Community College. She worked with their theater company in designing and performing a haunted theater tour. Abigail started working with the Colonial Players in their 2021 production of The Lost Boy as an actor and looks forward to working with them in future productions.
Sarah Wade (Sound Designer) Sarah is very pleased to work on The Lifespan of a Fact. She’s been seen both on and offstage. Past credits include directing the past two years of A Christmas Carol. On stage, past roles include Gloria Mitchell in By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Elaine Harper in Arsenic and Old Lace, Honey in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (WATCH award winner- best supporting actress in a play), Cecily Cardew in Ernest in Love, Catherine Donahue in These Shining Lives, amongst others. Sound designs include Love, Loss and What I Wore, Sex with Strangers, Calendar Girls, Vanya, Sonia Masha and Spike, and Watch on the Rhine.
