They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but lately I’ve had my doubts. Seriously, the sabre-rattlers seem to be rallying a lot these days, don’t they?
How nice, then, to escape for several hours to 1640s Paris, where the town’s leading writer is also its resident badass, vanquishing foes, wooing maidens and freestyle rhyming like he was some kind of 17th century French Jay-Z.
My time travel agent: Perseverance Theatre, whose penultimate production of the 2017-18 season, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” presents a crowd-pleasing tale of love, honor and panache, by way of a warrior-poet with a huge nose and substantial psychological complex about it.
[SLIDESHOW: ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’]
Obviously, “Cyrano” ranks among the best-known works of traditional theatre, and possibly the most famous love story of all time (take that, “Romeo and Juliet!”). Originally written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand, and subsequently translated and performed countless times on stage and in film, the play follows the travails of the eponymous long-beaked cavalier poet, whose quick temper, clever wit and flashing blade win more enemies than friends.
Everyone knows the plot: desperately in love with the beautiful Roxane but self-conscious about his appearance, Cyrano seduces her through an intermediary, the handsome but dim Christian. More than 120 years later, the narrative isn’t exactly what you’d call “fresh.” Still, “Cyrano” retains a certain familiar pleasure. Sure, it may be old and, honestly, overly sentimental. But then again, France is famous for its well-aged cheese.
The Perseverance production is a world premiere of a brand-new translation and adaptation by David Grimm. Written entirely in verse — mostly rhyming — and bursting with humor and lyricism, Grimm’s script celebrates the original by not departing from it. And the nimble direction of Eleanor Holdridge showcases the play’s flowery sensibility without making audiences feel like they’ve been sprayed with Febreze.
Simply put, “Cyrano” offers a wonderful retelling of this classic romantic comedy, combining canny staging, impressive sets and sharp acting.
This is a sumptuous production and Perseverance pulls out all the stops. Art Rotch’s scenic and lighting design set the mood perfectly — isn’t that the set’s entire purpose? — whether the action takes place inside a fancy Parisian salon, a bakeshop or a battlefield during the siege of Arras. Props to the stage management team, led by Perseverance back-of-house veteran Jason Ginter.
The costuming, by costume designer Peggy McKowen, also deserves high praise. We’re talking silk pantaloons, lace cravats, feathered hats, powdered wigs…the whole Louis XIV thing, several different ensembles for each member of the ensemble.
But that’s not all. “Cyrano” also features lush sound design by Rory Merritt Stitt and not one but two fight choreographers. See what I mean about “all the stops”?
Perhaps the play’s greatest strength lies in its actors, a large, bustling cast of 16, with some double and even triple-casting. A play written in rhyming couplets requires a certain musicality, and the entire company hits the lines with metronymic precision. J. Todd Adams, who you may recognize from TV’s “The West Wing” and “Gilmore Girls,” makes his Perseverance debut as the scheming Comte de Guiche, Cyrano’s snide adversary. Fine performances are also delivered by Evan Carson as Cyrano’s right-hand man Le Bret, Jeff Hedges as Ragueneau, a pastry chef with a love of poetry and, of course, the entire coterie of townspeople, poets, nuns, dandies and soldiers.
But while everyone involved brings their A-game, “Cyrano” necessarily focuses on the main love triangle. Kathryn Tkel, also in her Perseverance debut, radiates a measured exuberance as Roxane (no wonder so many men are smitten with her) and Enrique Bravo is excellent (as usual) as the good-looking but tongue-tied Christian de Neuvillette.
However, the play’s success hinges on a commanding central performance, and here John Keabler attacks the role of the swashbuckling heartsick warrior with energy and inventiveness. Verbally and physically, he’s a force to be reckoned with, taking on all challengers with both words and swords. Indeed, his early extended duel with yet another of Roxane’s potential suitors — while simultaneously composing a poem — gives new meaning to term “rapier wit.”
These three actors shine brightest during the balcony scene, in which Cyrano, under cover of darkness, speaks to Roxane in his own voice before allowing Christian to reap the reward of her hand in marriage.
Of course, this is not to pronounce “Cyrano de Bergerac” a perfect play. The nearly three-hour production starts to feel long. Also, quite honestly, while I love the idea of a homely literatus as the heroic, romantic lead, I’ve always thought Cyrano was kind of a jerk: pompous, self-important, bullying. Still, like I said, you don’t see too many warrior-poets, especially in 2018. It’s about time someone brought back the archetype.
• Geoff Kirsch is a freelance writer living in Juneau.
