Review: CYRANO DE BERGERAC at Synetic Theater

Synetic Theater’s wordless CYRANO DE BERGERAC is gorgeous to behold and packs a powerful emotional wallop.

Wordless? How can a story so full of poetry and wit be conveyed without dialogue? The 22-year-old physical theater company founded by Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili has honed its unique and award-winning artistry so words are superfluous.

Granted, it’s helpful to skim the provided synopsis for an added sense of the story. Cyrano and childhood friend, Roxanne, grow up alongside each other with great fondness and affection. Roxanne becomes a celebrated dancer and Cyrano a gifted and brave soldier. Cyrano has never expressed his love for Roxanne because his large nose undermines his self-confidence. He finds a way to express his love to her, indirectly, when Roxanne becomes smitten with the dashing new recruit, Christian. When the young man lacks assurance to express his feelings to Roxanne, Cyrano pens love letters to her under Christian’s name. Cyrano lives vicariously through the handsome Christian as he ghostwrites poetic love letters to his beloved, signed by his own romantic rival. The ruse ultimately unravels. Late in life, Roxanne discovers she has loved the wrong man her entire life.

The production, directed by Vato Tsikurishvili, who also plays the title role, explores loyalty, sacrifice, beauty, love, truth and the relentless passage of time. Irina Tsikurishvili choreographed the commedia-inspired physical adaptation of the masterpiece with a dance vocabulary that borrows from ballet, hip-hop, cirque, acrobatics and more.

The cast packs a sense of fullness, action and drama that extends well beyond the trim company of six. They work together with humor, precision, and connection.

There is playfulness and clowning that offsets the heavier moments – including times when the actors leave the stage and interact with the unsuspecting audience. However, it does make the first act longer than it needs to be – a trim to the front-end would not take away from the emotional punch of the second.

Vato Tsikurishvili as Cyrano is the emotional heart of the production. From innocent childhood giggles to lovelorn young man to steely soldier, he ushers us through the story with his physical strength and poetry.

Maryam Najafzada as the lovely ballerina, Roxanne, is not afraid to tap into humor such as the many feathers that escape her tutu as she dances Swan Lake. Her meet-cute moment with Christian is frothy and giddy and lovely, even as our hearts break for Cyrano.

Zana Gankhuyag shows both boy-band teen swagger and embarrassed nervousness as Christian. Gankhuyag has tremendous strength and charisma in his movement – his Christian and Najafzada’s Roxanne are well-paired.

De Guiche, the pompous commanding officer who woos Roxanne, is played by Philip Fletcher who brings confidence, command and wit to the role.

Adrienne Elion has many roles, most memorable is the swaying, drunk priest who hurriedly marries Christian and Roxanne, effectively thwarting commander De Guiche.

Time is a constant presence and physical character in the play. Ana Tsikurishvili as Time is a disquieting figure with insistence and menace lurking beneath the schoolgirl youthfulness.

Koki Lortkipanidze’s score also reminds us of the constant passage of time with ticks and clicks and chimes built into the lush music. Brandon Cook is the sound engineer.

The flexible tiered set of harlequin diamonds with ramps and steps brings the action to multiple levels. The set gives great opportunities to highlight the athleticism of the movement work – choreography and scenic design work effectively in tandem. Hailey Laroe’s lighting design brings additional energy atmosphere, at times working with smoke and wind effects. (Feathers and lighting instruments added additional but unintended drama when the feathers settled on the hot footlights and started to smoke and smell.) Maria Bissex created clown unitards and dance tutus that are classic and fanciful.

Here it is not Cyrano’s big nose that is most memorable but his big heart. We think of grace and connection and missed opportunities throughout the production. We are reminded to take risks for love. Synetic’s work is unlike any other in the area – an innovative way to experience and rethink classic works.

Runtime: Two hours including one 15-minute intermission.

CYRANO DE BERGERAC adapted by Nathan Weinberger runs through August 13 Wednesday at 7 pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. The production is at Synetic Theater, 1800 South Bell Street in Arlington, VA 22202. For tickets and information please see the company's website.

Photos by Johnny Shryock.

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