Artists of the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park have partnered with the not-for-profit news organization South Dakota News Watch (SDNW) to produce a show entitled The Lifespan of a Fact. The performance opened June 10 and will show until June 30.
The Lifespan of a Fact is based on a true story, is a book, and is a 2018 critically-acclaimed Broadway play. A demanding editor-in-chief of a high-end magazine hires a determined millennial fact-checker to work on a groundbreaking essay written by a famous author. Deadlines are tight, the essay is dense, and everyone must make a good-faith effort in telling the story honestly. But facts soon become blurry as the over-the-top fact-checking creates the ultimate showdown of facts versus fiction.
“The core question in Lifespan is about the nature of truth and if facts are subjective in any way,” said Black Hills Playhouse artistic director Dan Workman, who also directs the play. “It’s also about what sells magazines and newspapers and who becomes the arbiter of truth.”
Anderson says the partnership between the Black Hills Playhouse and SDNW seemed the perfect fit as a sponsor with their news organization.
“The content is so relevant to what [SDNW] does as a not-for-profit news organization that is uber-dedicated to excellent journalism,” said Anderson. “They saw the potential and came on board in a big way.”
On Sunday, June 25, after the 2 p.m. matinee performance, Marci Christensen Burdick, an award-winning journalist, will interview John D’Agata, published author and editor of non-fiction including The Lifespan of a Fact. They will also conduct a lively discussion with a panel of seasoned news executives with state, regional, and national journalism experience.
Panelists Bios:
Read more about the panelists taking the stage on June 25.
John D’Agata
John D’Agata is an American essayist and author or editor of six books of nonfiction, including The Lifespan of a Fact. He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Howard Foundation, and the Lannan Foundation. He is currently the M.F. Carpenter Professor of Writing in the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa.
Marci Christensen-Burdick
Marci Christensen-Burdick is an award-winning broadcast journalist. She retired in 2018 as senior vice president of Schurz Communications (then owner of KOTA-TVand New Rushmore Radio, Rapid City). Broadcasting organizations in two states have named her to their Halls of Fame and, in 2013, Burdick was named national “Broadcaster of the Year” by Broadcasting & Cable Magazine. She currently serves as Board Chair of SD News Watch.
Bart Pfankuch
Bart Pfankuch is the content director and an investigative reporter/editor for South Dakota News Watch. A former editor at the Rapid City Journal, Pfankuch has worked for more than 30 years as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Wisconsin, Florida, and South Dakota. Pfankuch has won more than 60 journalism awards, including, while at News Watch, agricultural writer of the year from the North American Agricultural Journalists Association in 2020, 2021, and 2023.
Martha Nelson
Martha Nelson currently serves as chair of the board of City Limits, a New York investigative news organization focused on housing and homelessness. She is also chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In addition, she serves on the board of Andrews McMeel Universal, an independent publishing company based in Kansas City. She previously served as senior vice president and global editor-in-chief at Yahoo. In this role, she oversaw Yahoo’s news, sports, finance, and lifestyle editorial teams, as well as the company’s award-winning video production and social media initiatives. Prior to Yahoo, Nelson held the post of editor-in-chief of Time Inc., overseeing the editorial content and talent for the 21 brands at Time Inc., including Time, People, Fortune, Money, and Sports Illustrated. A native of Pierre, South Dakota, she splits her time between New York and the Black Hills.
Jack Marsh
Lifelong journalist Jack Marsh of Sioux Falls, SD, a retired media and foundation executive, is co-founder of South Dakota News Watch (sdnewswatch.org), the state’s first independent nonprofit news organization. During his 27 years with the Gannett Company beginning in 1971, Marsh was a reporter, editor, and publisher, working at six newspapers in three states. For the last 16 years of his active career, Marsh was an executive of the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan national foundation that fosters First Amendment freedoms for all. Marsh, who eventually became president and chief operating officer of what’s now the Freedom Forum Institute oversaw the foundation’s initiatives to improve employment diversity in America’s newsrooms.
Anderson says discussions like this are important, and after COVID the Black Hills Playhouse has become more intentional about the stories they tell and their role in shaping public opinion, helping people become more empathetic, and sharing stories that might be overlooked or hidden.
“Theatre is about storytelling, and art is often a way to bring people together in a neutral setting to learn in a creative way,” said Anderson. “Seeing incredible artists and thoughtful plays in a dark space with a community of peers can be transformative.”
The Lifespan of a Fact is one of a handful of shows this summer at the Black Hills Playhouse, which is in its 77th season. Other shows include Silent Sky, The Drowsy Chaperone, and 9 to 5, the Musical. In addition to the shows themselves, the atmosphere of the theatre is unlike anything else in South Dakota.
More of Black Hills Playhouse Summerstock
Check out other BHP shows happening in the 77th season at Custer State Park.
Silent Sky | June 9 – July 12
The Drowsy Chaperone | July 9 – 23
Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5: The Musical | July 30 – August 12
“Our location in Custer State Park is absolutely gorgeous,” said Anderson. “Many folks bring a picnic or pick up food in the snack bar and dine pre-show. People come right off the trails to see shows!”
As many theatres took a hit during the pandemic—some closing—Anderson encourages locals and visitors to get out to local theatres. Eighty-five percent of people attending shows at the Black Hills Playhouse are local to South Dakota, and 15 percent are tourists.
“Audiences are just beginning to return to the theatre in a bigger way and we need to encourage people to get out and see shows to preserve this art form,” said Anderson. “Our local community is vital to us and we are grateful for their support. This is our 77th Season and we want to be here long into the future to tell the stories!”
For more information, visit BLACKHILLSPLAYHOUSE.COM+
