Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended

"...despite the grandeur of Todd Rosenthal’s set, there is too much heaviness to the scenic transitions. Several characters remain under explored (Yando’s chap all but disappears, and the machinations of Arrington’s detective journalist are mostly described by others, rather than seen in real time). You’re left scratching around for real-time reality. The action is always a few beats behind the themes."
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Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...Fake could only have been conjured by someone who has lived an exceedingly full life -- a true adult who has experienced the glitter of sophisticated worldliness, the cynical weariness of intense careerism, the devastating ache that comes with severe loss and intense memory, and the crushing impact of profound love and death. Ironically, there is nothing at all artificial about "Fake," aside from its meticulously crafted structure, which so cleverly adapts aspects of the traditional detective story (complete with the participation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes), and then so seamlessly transforms the genre into the most probing of metaphysical investigations. This is a wonderfully mature, richly multifaceted piece of work. And under the impeccable direction of the playwright it is being brought to vivid life by a dreamy cast."
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Daily Herald - Recommended

"...While assigning the actors dual roles is an obvious yet effective way of highlighting their disparities, Simonson fails to fully develop his characters. Dawson, for example, certainly has more to him than Simonson provides. I'd argue that the dual narratives don't fully coalesce and the modern-day love triangle feels contrived. And for the most part, the modern scenes in this time-shifting drama pale in comparison to the period scenes, which make for a good, old-fashioned yarn. Yet the acting is first-rate throughout, with the gifted Guinan as compelling as ever as Jonathon, whose personal pain outweighs his professional acclaim."
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Time Out Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...Toggling Arcadia-style between 1914 and 1953, Fake, like the fossil, tries to combine two uncomfortably matched pieces. The chronologically earlier scenes detail an investigation into Piltdown by fictional journalist Rebecca Eastman (Arrington) at the behest of Arthur Conan Doyle (Guinan). This plot has the giddy charm of an Agatha Christie drawing-room mystery; in the initial scene, which gathers notables including Dawson (Yando) and the Jesuit paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin (Goss), Doyle all but announces, “I suppose you’re all wondering why I’ve called you here.” Yando invests Dawson with a deliciously villainous formality, while Guinan’s bluff, jovial Doyle conceals a steely mind, Holmes and Watson in one."
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Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended

"...For all its maneuverings, manipulations, and hidden agendas, Fake is more than a clockwork entertainment. Simonson uses the Piltdown Man fraud to set intellectual as well as theatrical mousetraps, opening up discussions about religion and science, God, history, nationalism, human nature, the politics of proof, and crucially, how we know what we think we know. One of the play's pleasures is its expansiveness: Simonson doesn't limit the scope of the conversation to conform to some bottom-line notion of what the play is about, and he's refreshingly willing to let unresolvable questions stay unresolved. Equally important, he grounds ideas in human reality. A passage in which Cole, a widower, sorts through family photographs, at once determined to throw away what no longer applies and overwhelmed by the task, says loads about the limits of scientific dispassion."
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NewCity Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...As usual in a Steppenwolf show, the ensemble acting is terrific, and the cast is given a workout of playing dual roles in both time periods, not only changing costumes but hairpieces and facial hair as well from scene to scene, to say nothing of accents: every character has a different one. But here again, there appears to be no specific thread connecting these two sets of characters across the two time periods, aside from the obvious device of the skull itself."
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Windy City Times - Recommended

"...The dramatic device of the same five actors playing both the Edwardian parties-of-interest and their cold war-era counterparts makes for ironical overtones, since—surprise!—the disbelievers of one age are the proponents in the other. And except for our feminist newshound cussing in jarringly modern idiom, the unities of time and place are invoked with an impressionist accuracy sufficient to coax us into brain exercise as intellectually stimulating as the conundrum inspiring it."
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Chicago Free Press - Somewhat Recommended

"...The scattershot story discusses without dramatizing ill-sorted themes of emotional truth versus scientific skepticism. The most interesting question–how to reconcile Conan Doyle’s empirical-minded doubts about the skull with his equal belief in the spirit world–is, unfortunately, answered in the worst way, by fingering, for purely thematic convenience, the wrong hoaxer. (So a play about one lie explains it with another fabrication.)"
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Copley News Service - Somewhat Recommended

"...there is no real dramatic arc to the narrative. The audience knows at the outset that Piltdown is a fake (note the play’s title). Most of the good stuff resides in the 1914 segments and if Simonson decides to take a fresh look at his script, he may want to concentrate on the early historical scenes with their vivid personalities and the immediacy of the Piltdown discovery. Tom Stoppard might have made the duality work between the events and sensibilities of 1914 and 1953 but Simonson is not Tom Stoppard. The articulate program notes in the playbill examine the Piltdown story with more historical and philosophical coherence than the play."

Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended

"...Fake is a very original work (directed, as well as written, by Mr. Simonson) displaying tremendous grace and polish. And with some fine dramatic flourishes of its own, and very impressive double-casting (in back-and-forth scenes set in 1914 and 1953), the show makes mysterious twins out of fact and faith, holding each up to the light of reason. Whether you choose to believe that the infamous "Piltdown Man" hoax actually came down just as Mr. Simonson says, it's still a lot of fun to see how he gets to his conclusion just the same."
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Chicago Theater Blog - Somewhat Recommended

"...in the end, it’s the play itself that disappoints. Simonson’s theme of how and why we come to know what we call "the truth," and what role faith plays in arriving at it, is not uninteresting. But the uneven tone and murky philosophizing of Fake render an interesting idea into a somewhat less than satisfying evening in the theater."
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Chicagoist - Somewhat Recommended

"...While the real dramatic pull should come from the controversy at hand, it doesn’t: A love affair subplot seems tacked on to add some juice. There are a few anachronistic expressions thrown in - we’re all for artistic license, but it’s fairly jarring to hear “shove it up your ass” in a scene taking place in 1914. And while Todd Rosenthal’s set is beautiful, the sheer amount of scenery required for each scene slows things down considerably, and places too much importance on, well, stuff."
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Chicago Stage Review - Recommended

"...Technically the production is as good as it gets. From sets to lighting to costumes to sound design, the world of the play is created to stunning effect. This is quite simply a lovely and lavish show. The cast is truly extraordinary and Francis Guinan anchors these gifted actors with a commanding presence and endearing charm. But the overall impact of the storytelling leaves you feeling a little duped. The “Piltdown Man” skull hoax serves as unintentional metaphor for Fake, as it creates a cheap ruse instead of the genuine emotional journey. Still, the hoax is so complete that you enjoy being fooled and regardless of Fake’s flaws, it delivers a thoroughly entertaining night of theater."
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ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...I believe Fake is a fascinating work filled with large ideas and themes that need further exploration. Once the mystery elements are introduced, there needs to be a clear resolution. Who was responsible for the hoax–Doyle or Dawson and why did they or he do it? Fake comes close but I’d advise dropping the relationship scenes in favor of a clear look at solving the mystery more satisfactorily."

Steadstyle Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...This is a brilliant piece that does cause one to think about the mystery of who we are and how we got there and will give you some things to think about. We all have our own opinions and feelings and what is discovered about the Piltdown Man will give you your own thoughts and opinions for consideration. Even though we know from history that the skull that was found was indeed not what it was purported to be, we may still have our doubts."
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