"Hamlet" as Never Before- A Review

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Posted: 4/9/05 at 4:45pm

Drop everything, forget Kathleen Turner and Jessica Lange and take a trip upstate to see a truly incredible actress. This production is worthy of a run on Broadway anyday. OK,it's Rochester and we often have to travel to Toronto or NYC since this city is not exactly a hotbed of theatrical productions, but we do get the usual touring companies(such as the less than stellar retread of "Chicago" that is here now). but we are near enough to NYC and Canada to tap into a good talent base and that is what has happened at GEVA Theatre's production of "Hamlet". GEVA is an excellent regional Equity thatre that constantly showcases new playwrites and features innovative casting and staging. Director Mark Cuddy, never one to shrink from something difficult,searches high and low for new inspirations and found his across the border in Kelli Fox,a 10 year veteran of the Shaw Festival,perhaps the finest rep. company in North America. Ms. Fox has had a stellar career, winning numerous awards and critical acclaim in Canada. She accepted the part of Hamlet when Mr. Cuddy offered it to her last year and her preparation does not disappoint. I admit that I was skeptical when I went last night, but 5 minutes into the evening I saw that Ms. Fox did not merely play Hamlet, she BECAME the Danish Prince. Having been raised in the theatre and a lifelong attendee, never have I found myself so mesmerized by an actor. Every muscle and fibre in Ms.Fox bespoke her excellent training as she skipped between feigned madness and the awful truth of reality. She spoke Shakespeare's words as if they were her mother tongue and scaled chasms and leapt from ladders that the male cast members avoided! The rest of the cast was quite good, with Jason Ma as Mercutio and Jordan Charney as Polonius being standouts, but I would have like to see a more developed Ophelia(Lori Prince), who played her first act scenes as if dreading the upcoming confrontation with Hamlet, and then shrinking from the physical confrontation as though she was uncomfortable playing opposite a woman. She did improve in the second act, where her descent into insanity was played with passion and pathos.
GEVA's set designer, G.W. Mercer did an excellent job, as usual, showing why he is a multiple Drama Desk and Tony nominee. Make no mistake, the evening belonged to Kelli Fox(who, incidently, is the youngest sister of actor Michael J. Fox)who owned the stage from her first footstep and left the audience longing for more during her brief absences. I found myself wiping away tears at the end;when was the last time you saw that in a production of Shakespeare?I felt very priveledged to have witnessed her performance and have already purchased ticket to attend next weekend with my stage-struck daughter and son. Since the show is here until mid-May, I doubt that will be my last time! If you are in Toronto or Albany(or anywhere else!) this is one trip you will not regret I promise you. If you are too young to remember the great Laurette Taylor, it might just be the time to be one of the first in this country to say that you saw the great Kelli Fox.












Press Release

Updated On: 4/10/05 at 04:45 PM