Theater at Monmouth to Present Jo Roets' Adaptation of 'CYRANO'

Theater at Monmouth will kick-off its 2016 Vive La France season with Cyrano adapted by Jo Roets from Edmond Rostand's 1897 masterpiece on Saturday, June 25th at 7:30 p.m. Infused with enchantment from start to finish, this classic tale of unrequited love offers an inspired take on Rostand's admired work.

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.

Cyrano de Bergerac was first produced at Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in 1897 and has since been adapted for the stage, film, and opera by such notable authors as Anthony Burgess, Ranjit Bolt, and Michael Hollinger. The title role has been played on stage and in film by José Ferrer (Tony and Academy Award), Ralph Richardson, Christopher Plummer, Derek Jacobi, Placido Domingo, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, and Steve Martin. Kenneth Branagh playes the title character in 2010 in a BBC Radio production with Tom HIddleston as Christian.

Director Tess Van Horn believes that this story is beautiful in its simplicity. "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," she says. "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

Cyrano features Marjolaine Whittlesey as Roxanne, Tim Kopacz as Christian/ LeBret/ DeGuiche and Christopher Holt as Cyrano. Set design by Meg Anderson, costume design by Michelle Handley, lighting design by Jim Alexander, and sound design by Rew Tippin.

Performance Calendar: OPENING 6/25 at 7:30 p.m.; additional performance dates 7/13, 8/4, 8/11, 8/19 at 7:30 p.m.; 7/24, 7/30 at 1:00 p.m.; 7/9 at 7:30 p.m. with post-show talk-back. Ticket prices range from $10-$32. Under 30 Rush Tickets: For patrons under 30, twenty $10 Rush Tickets are available at each

performance in the season. Tickets will be released to the first 20 people on the list ten minutes before curtain.. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. For calendar and reservations, please contact the TAM Box Office at 207.933.9999 or visit www.theateratmonmouth.org.

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