REVIEW: "Fake" in Chicago

Performance: Saturday, October 24th @ 7:30pm

Location: Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago, Illinois

Anyone willing to traverse the depths of evolution versus religion, will find a topic for conversation in Eric Simonson's play Fake. Simonson, inspired by a documentary film he saw on television about "the piltdown man" which was thought to be the missing link between man an ape, accepted the task of weaving a tapestry of belief, fact, and the illusion of fact as the audience is transported back and forth between 1914, two years after piltdown man was unearthed, and 1953, when the piltdown was discovered to be a hoax. Polly Carl, Director of Artistic Development at the Steppenwolf Theatre comments, "The core of Eric Simonson's play Fake is about belief, about our faith in objects to tell the story of our past and present. "

In the year 1914, Rebecca Eastman (Kate Arrington - seen to the right) an American journalist, Arthur Woodward (Alan Wilder) an anthropologist consulting on the discovery of piltdown man, Charles Dawson (Larry Yando) discoverer of piltdown man, and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Coburn Gross) a priest assisting the anthropologists in their work, are invited to the home of Sir. Arthur Conan Doyle (Francis Guinan). This meeting initiates the question of whether piltdown man is really the "missing link". Eastman takes on the story of piltdown man and with edge and determination, will stop at nothing to discover the truth behind the mysterious skull and its origins.

Flashfoward to the year 1953, Jonathan Cole (Francis Guinan) a British anthropologist and Doug Arnt (Coburn Goss) an American anthropologist are prepared to complete the scientific testing needed to definitively determine whether piltdown man is a hoax.

The acting was superb, as I have come to expect from the Steppenwolf. While conscious of the fact that each actor was playing two different roles, the transformations were made so clearly in tone, dress, and character that it was easy to accept each as an independent voice. Watching Kate Arrington move from the independent, quick witted, American journalist to the Lithuanian born anthropologist was a testament to the mirage that is possible with character development at its best.

I was particularly intrigued by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who represented the potential for marriage between religion and evolution. One is asked to consider whether these two ideologies must be mutually exclusive, though ultimately, the script itself fell a little short. While drawn in by the story, I would have liked to see aspects of the story taken one step further. There are momentary hints at questions, such as "Are we ignoring the significance of the present by defining ourselves by the past?". This question is one that is eluded to in a conversation between Katarina Meras (Kate Arrington) and Doug Arnt (seen below) in 1953. "I don't fit in with the smart set... I think you can be bogged down with deductions, you know, lose the big picture? There's more to life than facts and figures, don't you think?" Arnt says. "Like what?" Katarina asks. "I don't know," he says. "Mystery." While I appreciate leaving the theatre with questions to ponder, further exploration of this would have added the depth that I felt was missing when the curtain came down.

Curious about the piltdown man? Read Mystery of Piltdown Man by Knud Adams, Artistic Intern at the Steppenwolf theatre.

(Left: Photograph of the actual piltdown man skull reconstruction)

REVIEW: "Blood Brothers" in Bloomington

Performance: Saturday, October 17th @ 2:00pm

Location: Ruth N. Halls Theatre

(Indiana University Theatre Department Bloomington, IN)

The curtains have barely closed on this powerful musical and I am driven to post my review. Blood Brothers, Oliver Award winner for Best New Musical in London and a multiple Tony Award nominee in New York, tells a poetic, yet heartwrenching story of twin boys separated at birth only to be pulled together by an invisible bond of which they are unaware. However, this bond also leads them to the same woman.

It was unfortunate to see such a small audience in attendance, though this can be attributed to Homecoming weekend, rather than the quality of the production. There was not a single performance to be disappointed by; I can only highlight the best of the best.

Mandy Striph (Mrs. Johnstone) has been a favorite of mine since her performance last season as Dolores in The Wild Party. I appreciated seeing her versatility on the stage as the mother of the twin boys, one of whom she gives up at birth for fear of not being able to support both. As Mrs. Johnstone slowly ages over the course of the show, the subleties Striph brought to her made the transition seemless. The same gradual transformation was just as exquisitely done by Julia Mosby (Mrs. Lyons), as the secret adoptive mother of one of the boys. Both Striph and Mosby effectively conveyed the weight and worry that burdened them in their decisions.

I also found myself hypnotically drawn in to Matthew Martin's portrayal of the Narrator. The sing song rhyme of the Narrator's dialogue added a melodic quality to the production and Martin's performance added an element of intrigue. As he moved in and out of events taking place, one had to wonder whether his insight predicted or prescribed what would unfold. His dramatic choices made one feel both uneasy and yet still, captured in the moment.

Julia Mosby (Mrs. Lyons), Matthew Martin (Narrator), & Mandy Striph (Mrs. Johnstone)

Looking more broadly at the production as a whole, what made the story believable were the costume choices that aided in the aging of the twins (Martin Brent as Mickey and Matt Birdsong as Eddie), as well as the other children. I am sure I could not have been the only skeptic that college aged students could draw an audience in to believing they were 7 years old. It took only moments to see these men as the young boys being portrayed. From 7 to 14 to 18 years old, these actors and actresses grew and changed in ways that kept the audience vested in the story they had to tell.

Blood Brothers opened the 2009-2010 Indiana University Theatre Department's season with a bang. One can only hope the remainder of the season will continue to build on this wonderful beginning.