THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT.

• Author: Bailey, Ronald
• Position: THEATER - Brief article - Theater review

Into this era of "alternative facts" and "fake news" comes the hilarious Broadway play The Lifespan of a Fact. It's a smart and thoughtful reflection on just what is and is not true. Daniel Radcliffe plays obsessive intern fact-checker Jim Fingal; Cherry Jones portrays fierce magazine editor Emily Penrose; and Bobby Cannavale is egotistical essayist John D'Agata. All three turn in star performances.

Fingal is tasked with fact-checking D'Agata's 15-page essay on the suicide of a Las Vegas teenager. He generates 130 pages of queries the weekend before the magazine goes to publication. "I'm not interested in accuracy; I'm interested in truth," declares D'Agata. But what is truth if it is not based on facts?

The three eventually convene at D'Agata's home, where both...