First published 1999
Cyrano de Bergerac stands in the shadows of seventeenth-century Paris, his sword as sharp as his wit but his heart vulnerable. Despite his legendary courage in battle and brilliant wordplay, he cannot confess his love to the beautiful Roxane. His prominent nose becomes the symbol of everything he believes makes him unworthy of her affection. When the handsome but tongue-tied Christian arrives and also falls for Roxane, Cyrano makes a devastating choice. He will lend his poetic soul to Christian's beautiful face, writing the love letters that win Roxane's heart while denying his own. Frank Langella's adaptation cuts away the theatrical flourishes to reveal the raw humanity beneath. The intimate staging strips the story to its essence, allowing Cyrano's internal battle between pride and love to emerge with startling clarity. In this bare-bones version, every word carries weight as Cyrano navigates the impossible terrain between friendship and desire, honor and heartbreak.
Genres: drama, adaptations, romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Paris
Period: Seventeenth-Century
Paperback · Broadway Play Publishing, Incorporated