Edmond Rostand

Edmond Rostand (1868–1918) was a French poet and playwright whose verse dramas include Cyrano de Bergerac, a landmark of French theatre.

Cyrano de Bergerac: A 1897 verse play by Edmond Rostand about a witty swordsman who helps Christian woo Roxane. Rostand’s best-known play brought him international fame.
The Romancers: A comic play by Edmond Rostand about two young lovers whose fathers stage a mock feud. This early play established Rostand’s gift for lyrical comedy.
Sarah Bernhardt: A celebrated French stage actress whose career spanned the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Bernhardt starred in Rostand’s L'Aiglon, playing Napoleon II.
Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin: A Paris theatre that opened in 1781 and became a major venue for popular drama. Its 1897 production of Cyrano de Bergerac turned opening night into a celebrated triumph.
Romanticism: An artistic and intellectual movement that emphasized emotion, imagination, and individual freedom. Rostand’s heroic characters and heightened feeling inherit Romantic ideals.
The Princess Faraway: A verse drama by Edmond Rostand about a prince who falls in love with an idealized woman he has never met. Its romantic idealism anticipates the themes of his later successes.
Constant Coquelin: A French actor renowned for comic roles and performances in classical French theatre. Coquelin created the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac.
Belle Époque: A period of relative peace and prosperity in France from the late nineteenth century to World War I. Rostand’s rise and theatrical success belong to the cultural life of the Belle Époque.
Alexandrine: A twelve-syllable poetic line traditionally used in French verse. Rostand uses the French alexandrine to give his plays their formal, rhythmic speech.
L'Aiglon: A play by Edmond Rostand about Napoleon II, the son of Napoleon Bonaparte. Rostand’s historical drama made the young heir a tragic theatrical hero.

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