Cyrano | June 25 – August 19

by Edmond Rostand
adapted by Jo Roets
directed by Tess Van Horn

Sponsored by David and Christine Heckman

..
Cyrano de Bergerac is a master of swordplay and wordplay, but a “magnificent Mount Everest of a nose” blocks his path to true love. From Parisian balconies to bloody battlefields, tongue-tied Christian borrows Cyrano’s words to woo beautiful Roxane—but is she falling for Christian’s looks or Cyrano’s soul? A cast of three triangulates this classic into a lightning-paced romance of duels, panache, sacrifice, and one enormous schnoz.

Production Team

van horn_tess
Tess Van Horn
Director		 anderson_meg
Meg Anderson
Set Designer		 Handley_Michelle_bw
Michelle Handley
Costume Designer		 alexander_jim
Jim Alexander
Lighting Designer
tippin_rew_bw
Rew Tippin
Sound Designer		 samuels_leightonbw
Leighton Samuels
Fight Director		 begley_michele
Michele Begley
Stage Manager


Cast

holt_christopherChristopher Holt
Cyrano		 kopacz_tim
Tim Kopacz
Christian/LeBret
/DeGuiche		 whittlessley_marjolaineMarjolaine Whittlesey
Roxanne

 

Cyrano and his oversized schnoz | photo by Aaron Flacke

Christopher Holt | photo by Aaron Flacke

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Marjolaine Whittlesey | photo by Aaron Flacke

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Marjolaine Whittlesey and Tim Kopacz | photo by Aaron Flacke

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Marjolaine Whittlesey and Christopher Holt | photo by Aaron Flacke

From the Director

Cyrano de Bergerac, written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand, was inspired by the real life poet and playwright Savanien Cyrano de Bergerac. The original production (which was written in verse, in rhyming couplets of twelve syllables per line) was a smashing success and ran for more than 300 nights at the Theatre de la Porte Saint-Martin. It was soon translated from French into English, German, and Russian. This new adaptation by Jo Roets’ does an incredible job of breathing new life to the story, while updating the language for a modern audience.

I have always been drawn to the story of Cyrano. It immediately pierces the heart with its simplicity—how do we express our love? We are able to see very clearly the struggle that both Cyrano and Christian have in trying to woo the highly intellectual and passionate Roxanne. The only way for Roxanne to fully believe that she is loved is through the partnership of Cyrano and Christian—Cyrano with his words, Christian with his handsome face. Roxanne expectations are something to which I can personally relate. It is easy to get wrapped up in romance for its own sake; to get lost in the fantasy and not actually see the person in front of you. It makes me wonder if, perhaps, we have lost some of the romantic poetry in the era that we live. When the words “I love you” get lost amidst our technology, it is a gift to be able to immerse ourselves in an era when the need for self-expression went beyond the daily grind and the poets were crucial. Being able to present this story through a fresh theatrical perspective, in the elegance and grace of Cumston Hall, has been an absolute pleasure.