In 1898, Edmond Rostand took a real 17th Century poet/duelist and adapted him for a 19th Century audience. Cyrano De Bergerac was one of France’s greatest theatrical successes and its plot has been repurposed countless times. In this adaptation, the gender of the characters is switched, without altering their behavior. We see a world where women are the soldiers, poets and Cardinals and the men fight and preen for their attention. The classic story of a poet/musketeer with a big nose begins in a theatre and ends in a Monastery. In between, Cyrana battles prejudice with wit, battles real threats with a sword and battles her own insecurities with love. Rostand’s combination of humor, poetry, romance and life threatening conflict takes on a new power with 21st Century resonance.
