ONLINE: The Lifespan of a Fact

×

Expand

Actor James Carrington.

Forward Theater Company returns, streaming on the Overture Center website. It's not a play reading via Zoom. It's not a video of the actors acting while wearing masks. It is "an innovative collaboration of theater-makers and video artists," says Forward Theater artistic director Jennifer Uphoff Gray. Well, we love innovative! And the play, a farce by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, deals with issues very much of our time: A fact checker meets up with the writer of a magazine essay to find out how much of the story in question is true. What is fake, what is fact? The Lifespan of a Fact can be viewed any time from Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 27; tickets may be purchased online at overture.org. (Pictured: Ensemble member James Carrington.)

press release:  Due to the temporary closure of Overture Center, Forward Theater Company will kick off their 12th season in unprecedented fashion, with a virtual presentation of the Broadway comedy hit, The Lifespan of a Fact. Recorded and created remotely, the play will be streaming online via overture.org beginning Friday, September 11 through 27.

A departure from much of the “Zoom theater” created around the world during the pandemic, Forward’s production of Lifespan is the result of an unique collaboration of artists, using pre-recorded video and multimedia elements created specifically for the production by theater designers.

The play is by by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, and makes its Wisconsin premiere with this production.

Celebrated author John D’Agata has just written a sublime and shattering magazine essay. But is his story true? And how negotiable are the facts? When the world’s most neurotically precise fact-checker appears on the author’s Las Vegas doorstep and starts dissecting his work, the ultimate showdown between “truth” and “accuracy” begins. As the deadline looms, the high-stakes world of publishing becomes a battle royale in this brand new comedy of conflict. Timely and terrific, this brainy Broadway hit wrestles with truth, what constitutes it, and who gets to decide.

What others said:

“...a rib-bustlingly funny farce in which things go from very bad to far worse in seconds flat.” - The Wall Street Journal

What we’re saying:

“This may not be how we planned to debut the first production of the season,” said Artistic Director Jen Uphoff Gray, “but we were excited about the opportunity to take on something like this. It’s an entirely different world, and the work involved has been intense. The result is an innovative collaboration of theatermakers and video artists, and I think audiences are going to be surprised at just how much fun it is.”

Bonus bits:

- In addition to the virtual presentation, ticket buyers will have access to an online pre-show lecture that explores the history, design, and themes of the play.

- True to form, Forward will continue their tradition of offering live talkbacks. Audiences will be invited to join one of six talkbacks with the actors and director, hosted and streamed live via Zoom. Talkbacks are scheduled for Friday 9/11 at 8:30pm, Sunday 9/13 at 4:00pm, Thursday 9/17 at 8:30pm, Sunday 9/20 at 4:00pm, Wednesday 9/23 at 8:30pm, and Sunday 9/27 at 4:00pm.

Tickets to watch the production online are now on sale. Online viewing begins Friday, September 11, and ends Sunday, September 27. Streaming passes may be purchased online at forwardtheater.com, or via overture.org. Adults: $40; 42 Below (Discount for ages 42 and under): $20; Students/Educators: $10; Artists: $10.

Credits

The production features James Carrington, Michael Herold, and Mary MacDonald Kerr. Directed by Joe Hanreddy. Scenic Designer: Joe Varga, Lighting Designer: Noele Stollmack, Costume Designer: Amy Horst, Composer/Sound Designer: Joe Cerqua, Stage Manager: Sarah Deming-Henes, Technical Director: Kevin Zimmer, Props Master: Pamela Miles

The Lifespan of a Fact is generously sponsored by Madison Community Foundation, DeWitt, Steve and Jacqui Suleski, The Cap Times, and Idea Fest.