The Rep announces its cast and creative team for THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT

Thursday | Sep. 26, 2019

Fresh from a smash Broadway run, The Lifespan of a Fact is an essential comedy for an age in which every fact is a battleground.

 

Hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as “truly scintillating” and The New York Times as “terrifically engaging,” this fast-moving, provocative play is next up on The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Mainstage.

 

Written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell and directed by Meredith McDonough, the production runs October 16 – November 10.

 

In the play, celebrated author John D’Agata has just written a sublime and shattering magazine essay. But is the story true? When the world’s most neurotically precise fact-checker starts dissecting the author’s work, it begins to split at the seams. As the final deadline looms, hard facts square off against emotional truths in a funny and searing high-stakes showdown.

 

Tickets are available at repstl.org or by calling the box office at 314-968-4925.

 

The Rep's 2019-2020 Mainstage season is sponsored by the Centene Charitable Foundation.

 

Meet the cast and creative team:

 

CAST:

 

Brian Slaten (John D’Agata) is a St. Louis native who is making his Rep debut. His recent theatre credits include Straight White Men at Steppenwolf Theatre, Bent at Mark Taper Forum and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Angels in America at Actors Theatre of Louisville. His television credits include Masters of SexRizzoli & Isles and Criminal Minds.

 

Griffin Osborne (Jim Fingal) appeared in 2018’s acclaimed Broadway production of The Ferryman. His other theatre credits include 600 Highwaymen’s Off-Broadway production of The Fever. He’s also appeared on Investigation Discovery’s A Crime to Remember.

 

Perri Gaffney (Emily Penrose) returns to The Rep following performances in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (2015) and Bee-Luther-Hatchee (2003). Her Off-Broadway credits include The Resurrection of Alice, a solo performance piece adapted from her original novel of the same name. She’s appeared on television in As The World Turns and Law & Order.

 

CREATIVE STAFF:

 

Meredith McDonough (Director) most recent directing credits include Cyrano, Always…Patsy Cline, Noises Off, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Angels in America (Actors Theatre of Louisville). She also directed the world premiere of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at Marin Theatre Company. She was the associate artistic director at Actors Theatre of Louisville for the past seven seasons, and before that served as the director of new works at Theatre Works in Palo Alto, Calif.

 

Arnel V. Sancianco (Scenic Designer) studied drama with honors in design at UC Irvine, and received his MFA in scenic design from Northwestern University. He has designed shows in Philadelphia, D.C., Milwaukee, and Chicago. Past set design credits include The Crucible (Steppenwolf Theatre), Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre) and Photograph 51 (Court Theatre).

 

Kathleen Geldard (Costume Designer) has designed costumes for numerous productions at Actors Theatre of Louisville (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Peter and the Starcatcher), Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Alias Grace, Shakespeare in Love) and Arlington, Va.’s Signature Theatre (Assassins, Billy Elliot: The Musical).

 

Paul Toben (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer of theater, live events and unique spaces based in Chicago. Paul's designs for the stage have been seen in New York City, at regional theaters nationally, and in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Asia. He designed the lighting for The Rep’s 2012 production of Daddy Long Legs.

 

Christian Frederickson (Sound Designer) is a violist, composer, and sound designer who specializes in live music performance for theater and dance. He has worked at a long list of theaters in New York City, notably the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Public Theater and Playwrights Horizons, as well as Actors Theatre of Louisville, where he has been a regular designer at the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

 

Jerran Kowalski (Projection Designer) is a Webster University student pursuing a bachelor of fine arts degree in lighting design. Jerran served as the assistant projection designer on The Rep's Angels in America Parts One and Two. She has also served as an assistant lighting designer at The Rep for 2019’s Studio production of The Wolves, and also worked as a lighting assistant during Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ 43rd and 44th Season.