Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre (Chicago, IL)
In 1914, renowned mystery writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle invites four guests to his English country home. Each visitor has a connection to the infamous "Piltdown Man," purported to be the missing link between ape and man--later exposed as a hoax. Swinging back and forth through time, Fake investigates how "Piltdown" rattled assumptions about evolution, faith and science--and how we are transformed by our quest for the truth.
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The last date listed for Fake was Sunday November 8, 2009 / 3:00pm.
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Run: do not walk to this production of "Fake" that wonders who was responsible for the Piltdown hoax. Each actor plays a dual role brilliantly especially Francis Guinan as Doyle & Cole but all are fabulous. The costumes & set design are fantastic: you are transported to 1914 & 1953. The script takes what could have been an extremely dry subject and makes it funny, sad, and fascinating. Skip the brainless musical re-treads downtown & head to this production instead. A word of caution on seating which is kind of like flying Northwest. Don't bring large bags or lots of shopping bags if you're out & about prior. No overhead bins here.
Acting was good but the accents drifted off at times. Using the same actors for different roles in different periods was creative but a bit confusing at times. Good first play and thought provoking but I am not sure exactly what the message was. Good play, worth seeing but not great.
The acting and the stage decorations were very good. The play itself - not so good. A bit disappointing.
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The Steppenwolf Downstairs Theatre presents world-premiere productions and fresh interpretations of classic and contemporary plays in its state-of-the-art 515-seat theater, where no seat is more than 40 feet from the stage.
The Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre is a 299-seat proscenium theater that reflects Steppenwolf's commitment to the intimacy of the actor-audience relationship. Each season, one
Website: http://www.steppenwolf.org/boxoffice/productions/index.aspx?id=474
Ensemble member Eric Simonson recently completed a documentary on the late Studs Terkel for HBO. Simonson received a Tony® nomination for his direction of Steppenwolf's The Song of Jacob Zulu with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and directed an Oscar®-nominated documentary about the acclaimed South African singing group. Simonson received an Oscar® for Best Documentary Short for his film A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin in 2006. Other directing credits at Steppenwolf include Carter’s Way (also playwright), Slaughterhouse-Five (also adaptor) and Nomathemba (Hope).
By ensemble member Eric Simonson
Directed by ensemble member Eric Simonson
Featuring ensemble members Kate Arrington, Francis Guinan and Alan Wilder with Coburn Goss and Larry Yando
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is an internationally-renowned company of thirty-five artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking, and textual adaptation. Steppenwolf has redefined the landscape of acting and performance by spawning a generation of America's most gifted artists, including Joan Allen, John Mahoney, John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Martha Plimpton and Gary Sinise. No other American theater ensemble has survived as long and thrived as much as the Steppenwolf company of artists, who return home to Chicago to do the work they love.