Tonight and tomorrow the fall play “Cyrano de Bergerac” will be showcased in the high school auditorium.
A classic play about inner beauty versus outer beauty that many have read in Literature classes is being brought to life by an enthusiastic cast and crew. Since the spring, the cast of 39 students has been hard at work to master their characters and the crew of 37 students have been working to create set designs and are very excited for the show.
“They are very excited. They’re always excited, but I know that they really felt the challenge, the leads especially. Many of them have read the play in the past but confessed and said, ‘I’ve read it but i never truly understand my character. Now i understand my character and who he or she is supposed to be,’” Mrs. Anne Loudon, co-director, stated.
The plot line, which consists of a love triangle of sorts, features Cyrano, played by senior Dan Bitter, who is in love with Roxanne, played by junior Erika Spondike, but never tells Roxanne of his feelings because he believes he is not handsome. Then there is a twist that makes this play different than your run-of-the-mill love story.
Roxanne is unaware of Cyrano’s feelings for her and she is in love with another man, Christian, played by junior Zach Reed, because of his looks. Christian is in love with Roxanne, but is afraid to approach her because he fears he can’t speak well enough.
Eventually the Cyrano and Christian decide to team up to try to win Roxanne’s love with Cyrano’s words and Christian’s looks.
The play highlights the adventures and struggles as Cyrano attempts to win Roxanne’s love by using his elite poetics skills while hiding behind the looks of Christian.
This funny yet saddening whirlwind of love story includes many feats of battle, a comedic cast and an amazing set design.
“We worked really hard to make sure the set looks amazing. Every scene has it’s very own set so you won’t see any of the same set pieces more than once,” stage manager senior Rebecca Helfrich said.
Since Cyrano is a comedy, there have been multiple funny moments during rehearsals, but Bittner suggests looking out for Christian’s overall facial expressions and how Cyrano and Christian play off each other.
While the attention will be focused on the main characters, this production could not go on without the hard work the cast and crew put into the play this year.
“The cast is really close and we all put a lot of work into the play this year. I’m excited to put on a great show for everyone!” Bittner said.
Co-director Ms. Kristen Susany knows that the cast and crew are aware of how much potential this weekend holds.
“They realize how great this play is going to be. It’s really shaping up to be really good,” she said.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Matt Lienemann
