2024: Cyrano

Romance rules the day in award-winning playwright Barry Kornhauser's poignant and playful verse adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s CYRANO DE BERGERAC, the classic tale of that enduring hero of imperfection and his classic love triangle with the exquisite Roxane and the handsome and earnest, but verbally challenged, Christian. Written in rhyming couplets, the words are clever and irresistible with a zany modern punch.

CYRANO tells the story of the romantic poet and soldier Cyrano de Bergerac, whose wit is as sharp as his sword; the enormity of his talent, intellect, and passion matched only by the enormity of his, well, nose. This more than ample protuberance prevents him from expressing his feelings for the beautiful Roxane with whom he is desperately (and secretly) in love. When Roxane falls for the handsome but unpoetic Christian de Neuvillette, Cyrano offers to help him by providing the unexpressive soldier with the words to woo and win her heart.

Barry Kornhauser has captured the essence of Edmond Rostand’s French classic not only in character and plot, but in language as well. North’s production follows highly acclaimed stagings from the Fulton Opera House and The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C., where it won four prestigious Helen Hayes Awards including Best Play. 

North theatre director Ron Parker states, “Kornhauser makes this classic immediately accessible to modern audiences while at the same time staying true to the style, sound, and wit of the original. The 1897 play in French was written all in rhyme. It was brimming with witty wordplay and humorous references. Unlike many other versions translated into English, Kornhauser has managed to keep all of these elements of language including the rhyme while also incorporating a  delightful contemporary tone. The play becomes a treat for the ears as well as for the eyes. It’s as much fun for the students to perform the lines in verse as it is for the audience to hear it. We are so excited to share this amazing new adaptation of one of the most famous stories ever written for the stage!”

North’s production will feature thrilling swordplay, innovative theatrical staging, elaborate 17th century costumes, and an original musical score written for the premiere professional production. In addition, audience members will be seated directly upon the stage in a “studio-theatre environment” to make them part of the action and provide an intimate and heightened theatrical experience.

Metro Weekly described Kornhauser’s CYRANO as, “Daft English poetry coupled with luxuriously lyrical rhyming schemes,” and “masterful writing and witty wordplay.” The reward, it said, “is one riveting adaptation that is not to be missed.” It called this CYRANO “a romantic, gorgeous evening that is almost too beautiful to articulate,” and “above all, it has panache!"

Performances are May 2, 3, and 4 at 7 p.m., and May 4 and 5 at 1 p.m. Seating is limited to 120. General admission is $10. Tickets are available at the door one hour before each performance.