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Cyrano Plays For The Younger Set

Hardwick Gazette, August 10, 2005
REVIEW by June Pichel Cook

CALAIS - Cyrano,"an adaptation for young audiences of Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano De Bergerac," does not end with a Hollywood finish in the Quarryworks Theater production in Adamant. The full spectrum of of human foibles, tragic and comedic, play before the audience as revealingly as looking in a mirror. No matter how one desperately yearns, love arid fulfillment doesn't always end the tale. Is it the "words" that seduce the unsuspecting maiden's heart and soul or the presentation of the manly form set before her?

     Morgana Mellett, 15, of Craftsbury plays the leading role as Roxanne, the young maiden who has captured and befuddled the hearts of numerous suitors: her cousin, Cyrano, (James Fuller); the aging hopeful Comte De Guiche; and dashing musketeer, Christian De Neuvillette.

      Actor Bob Gillespie takes on both male roles of De Guiche and De Neuvillette, changing his costumes as quickly as his personas. He glides between the two characters, the arrogant and powerful, but lovestruck De Guiche, and the bumbling, young musketeer De Neuvillette,a man of
amorous intents but at a loss for sweetly coated words to whisper in the maiden's ears. Gillespie's, as two different characters, exaggerates their natures enough to make his young audience recognize these two stages of manhood, albeit, quite humorously,

     Cyrano opens the play with a challenge to his young audience to look at his nose and dare tell him about it - this appendage of some consequence that belies any subtlties as to its size. He points out unabashedly what some may call a deforrnity. Alas, Cyrano loves the beautiful Roxanne, but feels far too ugly to woo her openly. Under the cloak of darkness in the garden De Neuvillette woos her with Cyrano's seductive words, and the lovely Roxanne believes she has found true love with the handsome youth.

     DeNeuvillette is a man of amorous actions but tongue-tied when it comes to the graceful, eloquent, and poetic words of love. The young audience sees the dilemma DeNeuvillette and Cyrano face: DeNeuvillette's physicality is not enough alone, and it is Cyrano's words she really adores.

     The sword fight with Fuller's agility, (Cyrano) and Gillespie's clumsiness (DeGuiche) provides an entertaining scene, enhanced be Cyrano's poetic taunting, making his adversary all the more frustrated, much to the young audience's delight.

     Fuller, a computer programmer from Underhill who has his own company, has been doing theater from an early age and acted in plays at Champlain College and in Burlington under Steve Goldberg. Gillespie, who is in marketing and advertising for FM radio, hails from Berlin and has performed in numerous Quarryworks' productions.

     Ginger Pierce, wife of director George Pierce, played the numerous women's roles in Cyrano with challenging frantic costume and persona changes. She started in theater 10 years ago under the encouragement of her husband.

     Director Pierce said the adaptation script of Cyrano was given to him, and he liked the fact it "didn't have a Disney ending." He also found the young audience's reaction to the show quite interesting. The script was adapted by Jo Roets.

     Pierce calls himself a computer geek who studied engineering at Cornell University. He has directed community theater in Hyde Park and Stowe.

     Set design and scenic artist Julie Mueller created a walled garden of stone, stairwells, balconies, and leafy vines, while giving plenty of space for some gymnastic sword play, The play was produced by Frank Suchomel. Copies of Rostand's "Cyrano Ire Bergerac" were distributed free after the production through the generosity of the Adamant Community Cultural Foundation.

     QuarryWorks Theater will present "Measure for Measure," beginning on Aug. 11. Performances are free and tickets are dispersed on a first-come basis. The Adamant Music School grounds are beautiful and people are invited to picnic before performances begin.