Oil Lamp Theater’s The Lifespan of a Fact, written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, is now extended through April 13, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The Lifespan of a Fact is directed by Oil Lamp's Artistic Director Elizabeth Mazur Levin and its performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional performances Wednesday, April 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.
This sharp, witty, and thought-provoking play challenges the boundaries of journalism and ethics as truth and creative license collide. A recent Harvard grad fact checks the work of a prominent writer and delves into the complexities of truth in a world where facts can be slippery and perspective can change everything.
The cast of The Lifespan of a Fact includes Marianne Embree (she/her, Emily Penrose); Tim Walsh (he/him, John D’Agata); James Wheeler (he/him, Jim Fingal) and understudies Susie Steinmeyer (she/her, Emily Penrose U/S); Sam Fain (he/they, John D’Agata U/S) and Riley Capp (he/him, Jim Fingal U/S).
The production team includes Elizabeth Mazur Levin (she/her, director); Reina McGonigle (she/her, stage manager); Connor Windle (she/her, production manager/rehearsal stage manager); Ellen Markus (she/her, scenic & properties designer); Janelle Smith (they/she, costume designer); Ellie Fey (she/her, lighting designer); Rick Reid (he/him, sound designer) and Rose Leisner (she/her, assistant properties designer).
ABOUT ELIZABETH MAZUR LEVIN, director
Elizabeth Mazur Levin has served as Oil Lamp Theater’s artistic director since 2022. Oil Lamp Theater directing credits include A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play, Rooted, Collected Stories, The Revolutionists, Now and Then, Bad Dates, Beau Jest, Love, Loss, and What I Wore, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (2017 and 2020), Motherhood Out Loud and two seasons of On the Road—Oil Lamp’s former touring series. An actor herself, credits include work with Theater D, Taslitz/Reichenbach Productions, Citadel Theatre, Ouroboros Big Noise Theatre, Bowen Park Theatre, Phoenix Ascending, Centerlight Sign and Voice Theatre, Weathervane Repertory and Apple Tree Theatre. A theatre educator and acting coach, she holds a M.Ed in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University Chicago and a B.F.A. in acting and a B.A. in theatre from Miami University with an arts management minor.
ABOUT OIL LAMP THEATER
Oil Lamp Theater is an award-winning 60-seat storefront theater located in the heart of downtown Glenview. Keith Gerth founded the theater in February 2005, originally staging 20 productions for up to thirty-five friends and guests at night in his condo in Chicago. In March 2012, the organization was incorporated as a nonprofit and established a new location in downtown Glenview, fitted with warm décor and comfortable seating, reminiscent of a home. Oil Lamp produced 53 shows over the next seven years, reaching 10,000+ patrons per year and earning “Best Live Theater in the North Shore'' for four consecutive years. At the start of 2020, Keith Gerth retired, and shortly after, the pandemic began. Despite these major changes, Oil Lamp sprung into action and organized a drive-in for a fully-produced solo show, hosted outdoor concerts and built an outdoor venue for two full productions. Seeing the impact this made and the ability to conquer any challenge, Oil Lamp returned to indoor programming with a renewed vision. Oil Lamp now produces a dynamic Main Stage Season, Speak Easy Nights, a Women on Wednesdays series and continues investing in its connection with the community.
Oil Lamp Theater’s The Lifespan of a Fact, written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, is now extended through April 13, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road. The Lifespan of a Fact is directed by Oil Lamp's Artistic Director Elizabeth Mazur Levin and its performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. with additional performances Wednesday, April 2 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $55 for the run at OilLampTheater.org.
(L to R) Marianne Embree and James Wheeler in THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT from Oil Lamp Theater, now playing through April 13. Photo by Gosia Matuszewska - GosiaPhotography.com.