City Theatre Company Stages CYRANO DE BERGERAC, Now thru 8/10

The City Theatre Company will continue its 2014 summer theatre season with Edmond Rostand's enduring masterwork Cyrano de Bergerac. A poignant and passionate portrait of panache in 1640 Paris set against the backdrop of corrupt magistrates, bawdy ladies, and dueling musketeers. The stage adaption is by Anthony Burgess and led by guest director Jeff Hinkle. Show dates are today, July 18 - August 10 at City Theatre.

"All our souls are written in our eyes." - Edmond Rostand

Cyrano de Bergerac is a master of all things - a soldier, philosopher, and nobleman with a head for poetry and a nose for miles. All of Paris adores him, except for his adversary De Guiche and his true love Roxanne, who can't see past his all-too-prominent facial feature. Instead, she falls for a handsome young cadet named Christian. When Christian admits he's tongue-tied with Roxanne, Cyrano gives him the romantic words guaranteed to win her heart. With Christian's looks and Cyrano's language, it's a foolproof plan! Well, not if the villainous De Guiche has his say, as he tries to stop Cyrano and the lovers at all costs.

The truth which I speak strikes more sparks from men's hearts than your spurs do from the cobblestones." - Cyrano

The lasting fame of the French poet-dramatist Edmond Rostand is assured. Cyrano, his most popular work, was written especially for the great French actor Constant Coquelin. First performed in Paris in 1897, it was said that Rostand apologized to the famous actor for involving him in such a disastrous adventure. To the contrary, as Coquelin's first performance curtain call lasted for an hour. No enthusiasm for a romantic drama had been seen up to that time and the play was quickly translated into numerous languages. In fact, all of Rostand's best-known works stand alone in the roster of romantic plays that contrasted with the naturalistic theatre of the nineteenth century. His works seem to be tragedies, yet they carry with them a sense of happiness, hope, and optimism beyond the despair of the times. In Cyrano, the gorgeous rhythm of the poetry and the spirit of a most unusual hero place it in a class with the best of Molière and Shakespeare. Another of Rostand's works, Les Romanesques, was adapted into the well-known musical comedy The Fantasticks.

The City Theatre Company is excited to have guest director Jeff Hinkle leading the summer production.

He has directed numerous shows for City Theatre including Othello, Hair, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Romeo and Juliet and is a recent Central Texas in Excellence Award Winner for his direction of CTC's 2013 summer production of A Streetcar Named Desire. The creative team also includes Production Designer Andy Berkovsky, Costume Designer Lindsay McKenna, Dance Choreographer Rose Mitchell, Fight Choreographer Wesley Riddle and Music Director Viera Buzgova. And featuring an outstanding company of actors including Andrew Bosworth, Lindsay McKenna, Heath Allyn, Nicholaus Weindel, Dave Yakubik, Eric Hungate, Rachel Collier, Mohammad Omid Ghorashi, Larry Oliver, Wesley Riddle, Nicole Beckley, Elly Stevens, Laura Celest Cannon, Matt Flynn, Lucas Reilly, Ross Avant, Celeste Villarreal, Brandon Ottinger, and Susannah Crowell.

The City Theatre Company is an Austin-based, not-for-profit arts organization and is sponsored in part by the Austin Creative Alliance and the Austin Cultural Arts Division. Founded in 2006, the company has been recognized by the Austin Critics Table Awards, the B. Iden Payne Awards, the Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Awards, and has twice been voted "Best Theatre Company" by Austin American-Statesman's Austin 360. CTC is dedicated in providing quality theatrical experiences and entertainment for Austin artists and its community.