Cyrano, 3 actors play 8 roles

by Katey Rich

Staff Writer



Who says that three actors can’t play eight characters, or that one actor can’t play both the love interest and the villain? And who says that Sharpies don’t make perfectly good swords? As far as the cast of Second Stage’s production of “Cyrano” is concerned - nobody, that’s who.

“Cyrano,” which showed last weekend at Alpha Delta Phi, spins an old story of love and war into a surrealistic three-man show that manages to maintain these same themes and ideas.

The story is simple enough. Cyrano (played by Stewart Miller ’05) loves his cousin Roxane (played by Rohini Singh ’06). However, she is smitten with the dashing new army recruit Christian (played by Josh Garrett ’04). Cyrano, too self-conscious about his large nose to profess his love agrees to lend his words of love to Christian in order to woo Roxane. All is well until both men are sent away to war.

Cyrano continues to write to Roxane, under the guise of Christian, and she is so moved that she comes to visit. Upon her arrival, however, she witnesses Christian’s tragic death. Fifteen years later, she is still in mourning and living in a nunnery. After being accidentally hit in the head en route to see her, Cyrano inadvertently reveals that the true authorship of the letters. He then dies in her arms.

The original “Cyrano de Bergerac” was written in 1897, and was a swashbuckling, romantic, epic hit. About five years ago, a children’s theater company whittled down the original play to create a quickly-paced, three-man “Cyrano.” After seeing a performance for children in Seattle, director Dylan Meconis ’05 applied to Second Stage to produce the play here.

“The whole idea seemed very intimidating at the beginning,” Garrett said. “Doing a play that was performed before for younger audiences.”

The play was ideal for Meconis and for the spaces available at the University.

“It’s terribly romantic, and I’m a sucker for that,” Meconis said. “It had a small cast and would work beautifully in a small space. It was a combination of convenience and thematic appeal.”

Despite the play’s tragic ending, “Cyrano” is to be considered a comedy.

“I feel like the majority of student theater at Wesleyan is too realistic and depressing,” Meconis said. “I’m very goofy so I sort of wanted to do something in a different vein.”

From the program listing “the dashing cast” to the actors’ dramatic movements and facial expressions, the upbeat atmosphere was evident in the final product.

The production process itself, according to those involved, was also quite enjoyable.

“We had a good time, and that was always the main feeling at rehearsals,” Garrett said. “No one ever was really too overbearing or lost their sense of humor, which I think helped a lot.”

“It’s so much fun when it finally all comes together,” Meconis said.

The production tweaked reality through its minimalist costumes and props, multiple roles and use of space. The actors and director worked with the small space of Alpha Delt’s Green Room. They staged battle scenes, swordfights and balcony rendezvous – all within a few feet of space.

“I liked the creative use of an alternate space,” said Eric Silver ’03. “I thought that the director took a nice vision to what the space allowed for.”

The incorporation of the room’s balcony was another example of the creativity needed and used, according to Silver.

To distinguish between their multiple characters, the actors used a variety of scarves, another simplistic element that appealed to both the audience and cast.

“We were originally going to use hats, but we discovered the CFA didn’t have any,” Meconis said.

Despite the innovative technical aspects, the characters themselves provided the largest challenge of all. Playing a single character in this play was a challenge; playing four of them, as Garrett did, may have seemed impossible.

“It definitely was challenging, but I think that’s what’s best about acting,” Garrett said. “We came up with certain things that could remind me of what character I was getting into, like tics or voice changes.”

The small cast and close proximity to the audience also added a new dimension for the actors.

“It was more exciting because you couldn’t hide behind a huge cast and be one person with many people to back you up,” Singh said.

In a play filled with myriad themes, from self-acceptance to the power of words, it is up to the audience to decide which message to take home with them.

“In the end it’s about whatever you want it to be,” Meconis said.








 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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