What is the difference between fact and fiction? What is the difference between fact and truth? Thunder River Theatre’s latest comedic play “The Lifespan of a Fact” asks audiences exactly that question. KDNK’s Hattison Rensberry interviewed TRTC Dramaturg Kayla Henley and Artistic Director Missy Moore. When asked about the true story behind the play, Henley had this to say:
"Henley: So it started with a real life suicide event in 2002, and John D'Agata, who is a character in the play, wrote an essay and the believer about it in, uh, 2010. The only thing was he struggled a little bit with the fact checker at the time, and they went through quite a contentious debate of arguing what is truth and some of the liberties he took with this piece.
Uh, the essay was eventually published and the authors decided to turn. That into a book. The dynamics between the two come out quite a bit and that traces back, I mean, all the way from the original two characters doing a lot of compromise between the fact checking and the story and that those dynamics play out in a much more dramatized way in the play.
But they also speak to kind of two sides of the spectrum of storytelling, which is, you know, the bigger picture of capturing the emotional ambiance of a story and making sure that you get the details correct and the facts, and do we get to bogged down with the details and getting too pedantic. And both of these characters represent those two sides of the argument very well and our both make compelling arguments. And I think what makes this place so beautiful is that both of them come out as looking human. There isn't really a protagonist and an antagonist. It's two people approaching a very tragic event from two different angles, but both trying to do justice to the peace in the way that they know how.
Rensberry: There's one character we haven't talked about yet. Can you speak to how she plays a role in their dynamic or in her relationships with those characters?
Henley: Yeah. Emily Penrose, she has the difficult job of being stuck in the middle and having to navigate the debate between these two characters who are not willing to budge on their stances.
And what puts her in such a difficult position is she has a personal history with John D'Agata. I'm not really sure what that is, but she is sympathetic to his way of approaching journalism and trying to capture a story that could move millions of people. So as an editor-in-chief of a big magazine, that is an opportunity she doesn't want to pass up. At the same time, this is taking place in a day and age where objectivity matters and. You know, authors and journalists are getting, you know, what we call today, canceled left and right for not reporting the facts. So she has to be very careful as a journalist that her work is abiding by those standards, and it is this line she's walking of how many liberties can she allow her magazine to take? While avoiding a lawsuit, it is so much fun getting to watch her and navigate this very difficult situation and try to manage these two characters who are quite intent and stubborn of not getting along and compromising.
Rensberry: Missy Moore, you chose this piece. What was something that made you choose this piece and how is that going to show through in some of the technical work that's happening on this project?
Moore: Well, as an artistic director, I chose this piece because I love theater. That leaves you thinking and allows you to walk away from the experience set up to have a much deeper conversation about how. We relay stories. I'm also doing half of the sound design along with Dani Taylor Moxon, and I'm also doing the costume design.
So it's really fun to ground out a play in these technical elements in the sense of like basing them in a fully realized world. But there are aspects of this play that are rather non-linear, especially when it comes to the beginning of the show and the location of the show.
Rensberry: This show definitely has themes of discussing the relationship between fact and truth, between fact and the fiction that sometimes people have for themselves. What are some other themes that this play covers?
Henley: I think a big one is the responsibility that writers and journalists have to setting the narrative when it comes to tragic events. And events that affect other people. There's a really great line in the book that didn't quite make it into the play, where Jim talks about why this is so important to him as a fact checker, and it is because John's essay is going to set the narrative of this boy's death.
It is the only piece that anyone will be reading. So what he says matters. So I think that's a really big theme of responsibility in journalism, in telling the story and reporting the facts accurately and maintaining trust with an audience.
Moore: I'm really drawn to internal structure of play, especially when it comes to seeing women in the position of power.
Because for a very, very long time in our theatrical history, women are the quintessential quiet housewife or the concubine or the lady in waiting. And so to actually be able to see a strong presence, female character that is actually the leader of this trifecta, I think is hugely compelling.
Rensberry: Is there anything else that you'd like to talk about regarding this show that we didn't touch on?
Moore: I wanna give a shout out to Jack Trembath. This is his Thunder River Theater Company main stage debut, and he's hitting the boards with tried and true TRTC talents, Trary Maddalone and Owen O'Ferrell, and he has come out to play.
Henley: And make sure to come to the talkback on the second Sunday because if you have thoughts as a viewer on this plate and you want to share them or hear the cast thoughts or just overall engage in a lovely discussion.
Moore: Come to that one. It's going to be great. Yeah, and the talk back's gonna include myself, Renee Prince, the director Kayla Henley, our Dramaturg, along with Megan Tackett and Hattie Rensberry."
TRTC’s production of “The Lifespan of a Fact” opens on June 9th, and runs until June 25, more information and tickets are at thunderrivertheatre.com
