Reviews of Aurora Theatre’s 'Lifespan of a Fact
Elijah Alexander
Intimate. Intriguing. Insouciant.
An intern at a top magazine is given the assignment of a lifetime – fact-checking a masterpiece by a legendary essayist. What the no-nonsense editor means as a simple task becomes a hilarious misadventure when it becomes clear that most of the facts in the essay are embellished, adjusted, or just made up. The essay is brilliant, but has the essayist undermined his own work or revealed a deeper truth by playing fast and loose to make his point? Facts battle with truth when the intern bucks his instructions and confronts the essayist in this Broadway hit.
This summer, you’ll find Elijah at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, CA in the role of John D’Agata in ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’. If you can’t attend in person, you don’t have to miss out! You can also purchase tickets for online streamed productions.
‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ continues through July 21 at Aurora Theatre Company, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. Tickets are $17 to $40 at Auroratheatre.org
REVIEWS
‘Lifespan of a Fact’ amusingly, pointedly explores the validity of truth.
Elijah Alexander, Carrie Paff and Hernán Angulo are excellent in Aurora Theatre Company’s production of ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’... Elijah Alexander’s John is the sort of truculent, self-satisfied important-writer-person you’d expect—the play soon enough turns serious. “The facts get in the way of the story!’’ roars John, which sounds ridiculous—at first. “I’m not interested in accuracy. I’m interested in truth,” he says.
As “Lifespan” moves on, under Jessica Holt’s astute direction, from funny to provocative to deeply touching, it proves to be insightful and intellectually stimulating, revealing to ourselves bits and pieces of our own confused thought processes. Aurora, with its intimate stage and superb actors and director, is perfectly suited for this kind of play.
Jean Schiffman, Bay City News Reviews
Superb Elijah Alexander plays John, the powerful writer who knows his own worth. He’s bullying, and dominant, and he shoots galaxies of insults at his young antagonist. He explains, condescendingly, that his essay is NOT subject to mere fact checking; and he arrogantly claims to be going for a ‘Bigger Truth.’
Moment by moment, this intriguing work brings surprising confrontations and contradictions. I highly recommend an evening with great actors and a stirring script that pierces to the heart of where we are now.
Barry David Horwitz, Theatrius Reviews
When political leaders speak baldfaced lies with straight faces, fake news often supplants truth. It is, therefore, a pleasure to relish The Lifespan of a Fact, an intelligent and funny play that explores the subject of journalistic integrity.
…imperious and difficult John, acted by an excellent Elijah Alexander (TV’s ‘The Chosen’, Aurora’s 2017 ‘The Real Thing’). …whose self-importance and aversion to having his work critiqued… has chosen his words artistically for the way they sound and the way they read.
…the audience leaves the theater, talking and thinking about all sides of the journalistic challenge while having been thoroughly entertained. I highly recommend The Lifespan of a Fact.
Elijah Alexander as John D’Agata is not just a pompous blowhard, but an artist whose commitment to his work is everything. The defense of his work is not a bullet-pointed presentation but rather a winding story that slowly illuminates the world he inhabits. Alexander does not rush, but carefully allows the audience to discover his perspective in such a way that you might find yourself completely turned around. He’s hot, cold, erudite, stubborn, and always passionate, and Alexander brings him to life beautifully.
