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Have you ever liked someone but didn’t know how to tell them? Or maybe you have a flair for words but don’t think your looks are good enough to tell the person?
Two men in love with the same Roxane each face one of these problems. But they team up to woo her toward the one with decent looks but no words by using the other man’s poetic lingo that he’s too insecure to tell her on his own behalf, despite being a brave swordsman.
Welcome to “Cyrano de Bergerac,” an 1897 play by Edmond Rostand, inspired by a real Cyrano who’d lived 200 years earlier. Though that Cyrano didn’t have the same love problems, he did have a way with words — and also a rather large nose like Cyrano in the play.
Long Beach Shakespeare Company describes the play, which was translated from the original French by Brian Hooker in 1923 to perform on Broadway, as “a sweeping tale of wit, valor and unrequited love.”
At first sight, Roxane falls in love with Christian, a handsome but inarticulate young soldier, the theater describes. Cyrano, out of pity and a little selfishness, agrees to help Christian win Roxane’s heart by writing love letters to her on his behalf.
“Cyrano, a soldier and poet famed for his dazzling words and daring spirit, hides behind humor and bravado to mask his insecurity about his appearance,” the theater says. “When the woman he adores falls for another, Cyrano lends his eloquence to help woo her — sacrificing his own heart in the name of loyalty and honor.”
But Long Beach Shakespeare Company is also adding a humorous twist by making it a play within a play. In this version, a company of actors is rehearsing “Cyrano de Bergerac” but often breaking out of character to improvise in everyday language when the script overlaps with their modern lives.
This version also features a dog, the theater says.
“This will be a new take on an old text,” the theater says. “As the play progresses, so will the ‘rehearsals,’ and the final scene will end in the ‘performance,’ with full costumes, props and lights.”
Director Renee Schwartz said she added this metatheatrical dimension to make the show relevant and new for a modern audience so the play’s comedy could really shine through.
“This idea also allowed us to be creative with cutting the script, combining characters and solving a lot of the plot problems,” Schwartz said. “This version definitely shows what it’s like to work as an actor in a local community theatre, and all the ups and downs that go with it.”
In casting for the play, Long Beach Shakespeare Company searched for actors with strong comedic instincts, including long-form improv, in which performers create unscripted shows. The play also includes hand-to-hand stage combat and sword-fighting, and of course physical intimacy among the three lovebirds.
“It’s going to be a fun one!” says artistic director Holly Leveque.
Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” runs Aug. 14 to 29 at the Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Blvd., Long Beach, with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-997-1494 or visit LBShakespeare.org.