“Cyrano de Bergerac” is one of those plays you’ve surely heard of and can probably outline at least the basic plot.
Man with overly large nose falls in love with a beautiful woman and woos her through a handsome surrogate.
Seeing the play reveals so much more. This production, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (although not written by Shakespeare, it’s by the French Edmond Rostand) shows Cyrano’s bitterness over his appearance. Not just unhappy to have a big nose, he lets it poison his every interaction. He hates first, to avoid being disappointed.
Played by the wonderful Harry Groener, Cyrano uses his razor wit to cut down everyone who unfortunately stumbles across his path. Only a few chosen friends are spared the insults and are treated to his humor. One of these is his lovely cousin Roxanne. Played by Julie Jesneck, her cadence oddly reminded me of Shelley Long playing Diane in “Cheers,” but she is beautiful and affecting as the woman worthy of Cyrano’s love.
The other actors, including one of my favorites, Ross Lehman, are bullied or manipulated in turn by Cyrano’s raging words. A high mark of the night is when Cyrano comes up with almost 20 quick insults to counter a dullard’s remark that his nose is “big.” He compares his nose to everything from a bird’s perch to a peninsula, while his target can merely gape at the words running circles around his own poor attempt at an insult.
This play affirms that some human truths are eternal. It was first produced in 1897, but still speaks to the frailties and floundering that everyone experiences. For teens questioning the relevance of “literature,” this play is an entertaining lesson in the idea that what makes us human never changes.
My only criticism of an otherwise engaging performance is the length. At more than 3 hours, it was a very long evening, especially for those of us who have to drive back to the North Shore. I would have cared much more about the ending if it wasn’t after 10:30 p.m. when the final scene began.
“Cyrano de Bergerac” runs through November 10 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier. Tickets cost $58-78.
