40th Season • 391st Production SEGERSTROM STAGE / MAY 21 - JUNE 27, 2004 David Emmes Martin Benson PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR presents CYRANO DE BERGERAC BY Edmond Rostand TRANSLATED AND ADAPTED BY Anthony Burgess SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN ORIGINAL MUSIC AND SOUND DESIGN Riccardo Hernandez Shigeru Yaji Chris Parry Steven Cahill FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHERS PRODUCTION MANAGER STAGE MANAGER Daniel R. Forcey/Aaron Angello Tom Aberger *Scott Harrison DIRECTED BY Mark Rucker HONORARY PRODUCERS CORPORATE PRODUCER Barbara and William Roberts Haskell & White LLP Cyrano de Bergerac • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) Doorkeeper/Cadet .................................................................... John Sisk Guard/Cadet/Sentry ......................................................... Fredrik Hamel Pickpocket/Poet/Cadet ............................................... Brandon Murphy Boy .................................................. Jeffrey Budner, Mikey DeBenedetto Foodseller/Cook/Nun ........................................................ Elise St. Clair Flunkey/Cook/Cadet/Sentry ............................................. Brett Erickson Flunkey/Cook/Cadet/Musician/Spanish Officer ................. Sean Durrie Cavalryman/Cadet ............................................................. Edward Gusts Musketeer/Cadet ............................................................. *J. Todd Adams Flowergirl/Nymph/Actress/Nun ................................ Paula Christensen Citizen/Poet/Cadet ............................................................. *Louis Lotorto Citizen’s Son/Boy ............................. Mason Acevedo, Conner Thomsen Bellerose/Poet/Capuchin/Cadet .................................... *Hal Landon Jr. Jodelet/Poet/Bertrandou the Fluteplayer .............................. *Don Took Marquis/Poet/Cadet ..................................................... *Brad DePlanche Marquis/Cadet .................................................................... *Mark Brown Cuigy/Cadet ................................................................... Kerby Joe Grubb Brissaille/Musician/Spanish .......................................... Rick Margaritov Lingnière/Carbon de Castel-Jaloux ................................ *Richard Doyle Christian de Neuvillette ........................................................ *Ryan Bittle Lady/Exquisite/Nun ................................................... Courtney Stallings Lady/Exquisite/Nun ................................................... Katherine Fütterer Ragueneau ................................................................. *Micheal McShane Le Bret ...................................................................... *Jeffrey Hutchinson Roxane .................................................................. *Susannah Schulman Duenna later known as Sister Marthe ............................... *Nike Doukas Comte de Guiche .............................................................. *Gregory Itzin Vicomte de Valvert/Cadet .......................................... *Preston Maybank Montfleury/Mother Marquèrite de Jèsus ................ *Martha McFarland Nymph/Actress/Lise/Sister Claire ................................ *Jennifer Parsons Cyrano de Bergerac .......................................................... *Mark Harelik Please refrain from unwrapping candy or making other noises that may disturb surrounding patrons. The use of cameras and recorders in the theatre is prohibited. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the theatre. Cellular phones, beepers and watch alarms should be turned off or set to non-audible mode during the performance. * Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers. P2 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Cyrano de Bergerac SCENES Act 1. A theatre in Paris. Act 2. Ragueneau’s pastry shop. Act 3. Outside Roxane’s house. Act 4. Seige at Arras. Set model for ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ by Riccardo Hernandez. Act 5. A convent garden. LENGTH Approximately three hours, including two 10-minute intermissions. PRODUCTION STAFF Assistant Stage Manager ...................................................... *Emily F. McMullen Casting Director ......................................................................... Joanne DeNaut Dramaturgs ............................................... Jennifer Kiger, Linda Sullivan Baity Costume Design Assistant .................................................................. Julie Keen Music Supervisor ................................................................. Scott Ryan Johnson Makeup Artist .................................................................................... Kevin Wais Vocal Consultant ............................................................................ Ursula Meyer Movement Consultant ........................................................................ Art Manke Assistant to the Director .......................................................... Brad DePlanche Assistant Lighting Designer .......................................................... Sarah Maines Stage Management Intern .......................................................... Jennifer Butler Additional Costume Staff ................................... Becca Balistreri, Valerie Bart, Bronwen Burton, Su Lin Chen, Elizabeth Cox, Ruth Enriques-Baque, Merilee Ford, Tracy Gray, Yoshiko Ikezawa, Amber Johnson, Peggy Oquist, Stacey Nezda, Cynthia Shaffer Thomson, Tara Tran Deck Crew ..................................................................... David Gallo, Joe Smith ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This play is presented by special arrangement with Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, P.O. Box 13819, Milwaukee, WI 53213. For more information on this and other works available for performance, write to the above or e-mail [email protected] The Producers wish to thank the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for its assistance in this production. Official Airline Media Partner Cyrano de Bergerac • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY P3 Sketching Paris, circa 1640 he play Cyrano de Bergerac begins in the hall of the Hôtel de Bourgogne where a disparate crowd awaits Tthe opening of a new play. People from all social strata are gathered—valets, royal guards, pickpockets, students, artisans and food vendors. Standing in the parterre or pit, they eat, drink, play cards, flirt and pick fights. Two gal- leries of loges are reserved strictly for aristocratic pa- trons such as the Comte de Guiche and the Vicomte View of the Porte de Nesle taken from the Louvre 1635. de Valvert, who enter ceremoni- considered mere objects used by men, set about re- ously and make drawing the laws of a society that considered marriage their way to the no more than a financial arrangement. All cultured gen- upper level, while tlemen were required to understand and practice gal- noblemen of the lantry, and everyone was preoccupied with discussions highest rank are of idealized romantic love. permitted to sit on the stage. The Aristocracy. The Hôtel de he first member of the House Bourgogne was of Bourbon to achieve royal the first theatre in Trank was Henry IV, formerly Paris, built in Henry of Navarre, who ruled 1548. The King’s from 1589-1610. He was suc- Players, his first ceeded by his son, Louis XIII, Cyrano at the Hôtel de Bourgogne permanent compa- who became king at the tender before the Act I duel en ballade. ny of actors, was age of 11 and reigned under his installed in 1610 mother’s regency until 1617, when and reigned supreme for many years. The royal troupe he rebelled and had her imprisoned. featured legendary performers such as Bellerose and Louis XIII appointed Cardinal Richelieu as Montfleury—masters of the bombastic acting style so Chief Minister in 1624, and together they reconcentrated popular with audiences. power in the French throne. Members of noble class existed within a strict hierarchy based largely upon land L’esprit précieux du XVIIème siècle. holdings. Titles, which were either hereditary or be- here appeared in France during the 17th Century a stowed by the King, were (in descending order) duc, social and philosophical movement called préciosité marquis, comte, vicomte and baron. Chevalier (knight) Twhich established a code of polite behavior was a rank within the titled nobility and seigneur (lord) among aristocratic ladies and gentlemen. After was not a title, but referred only to the posses- many years of bloody civil war, les précieuses sor of a certain kind of property. Louis XIII’s sought to eliminate the vulgar language and successor was his eldest son, Louis XIV, crude behavior that had become common- whose legendary reign as the Sun King from place, replacing them with elegance, refine- 1643-1715 marked the apogee of royal abso- ment and graciousness. Although eventually lutism throughout Europe. deemed to be artificial and snobbish, pré- ciosité was celebrated by artists and poets, in- Above, Louis XIII, the second Bourbon King fluencing the fashions, speech and literature of of France. Left, les précieuses favored ex- the day. Women, who no longer wished to be travagance and artificiality in their cloth- ing. P4 SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • Cyrano de Bergerac A Divided France The Seige of Arras. River Scarpe and on sparrows—the only game available. n 1640, the Flemish city of Arras, along with most of Ultimately, the great Condé succeeded in breaking the ancient French province of Artois, was under through to Doullens to