When it opened in Paris 111 years ago, Cyrano de Bergerac created a sensation on the scale of today’s Broadway blockbusters, and sold out months in advance. Today, Cyrano remains one of the theatre’s most beloved epic romances, and its most ambitious.

“The sheer scale of this production—which includes lavish costumes, panoramic fight scenes, and an intimate love triangle—demonstrates the maturity of the Shakespeare Festival,” says Associate Artistic Director Dennis Razze, who directs the production and composed the original score. With a cast of 30 actors playing more than 60 characters, Cyrano de Bergerac is the largest production in PSF history.

Cyrano de Bergerac previews on the Festival’s Main Stage July 16 and 17, opens July 18 and runs through August 3. Performances are Tuesdays at 7pm; Wednesdays through Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm (no Saturday 2pm performance on July 19) and Sundays at 2pm. The Sunday Evening Special, which offers up to two tickets at $5 each when purchasing two tickets at the full adult price is Sunday, July 20 at 7:30pm. Tickets may be ordered by calling 610.282.WILL or online at www.pashakespeare.org.

The Production Sponsor is Alvin H. Butz, Inc., and the production co-sponsors are Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth, and Wills Hall Oblate Community.

Written by Edmund Rostand in 1897, much of Cyrano de Bergerac’s success springs from its bold and fluid mélange of story, conflict, and character. During the early seventies, Anthony Burgess translated and adapted Rostand’s play. Best known for his novel A Clockwork Orange, Burgess maintained a fondness for Cyrano throughout his career. “Cyrano continues to be an attractive character, even in an age when chivalry and plumed display seem to be out of date,” Burgess stated in 1984. “There is total defiance of authority but no brutality of language or gesture. There is failure turned into triumph.”

A cadet in the French Army, Cyrano is a brash, strong-willed man of many talents, including his panache with both sword and word. Yet beneath his flamboyant and spirited façade lies a tender-hearted man in love with the beautiful Roxane. Cyrano believes he can never be worthy of any woman’s love because his nose inspires awe and ridicule. Unwilling to risk expressing his love for Roxanne directly, he channels his passion into letters to her on behalf of one of his cadets, Christian, who is also in love with Roxane. Thus, he becomes the secret “soul” of the relationship, providing the exquisite words of love that elude the handsome Christian. Director Razze describes the language of Cyrano as “some of the most gorgeous poetry and language since Shakespeare.”

Exuberant, romantic, and larger than life, Cyrano inspires music. “Music is essential in a play like this,” says Razze. “Because of the epic nature of the play, the music needs to have epic proportions—large brass ensembles, rich strings, and the percussive energy of battle.” The score incorporates an undertone of the 17th century Baroque style, authentic to the play’s time period.

Equally as grand as the music are the sumptuous costumes. Designed by Sam Fleming, associate costume designer for The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, Cyrano features lavish and authentic designs straight out of 17th century France. The play also demands wigs for each character, sometimes multiple. Martha Ruskai, who worked on PSF’s Amadeus last season, has designed wigs and makeup for Cyrano – including designing and building the title character’s famous nose.

Rick Sordelet, who served as fight choreographer for more than 44 Broadway productions, including Tarzan, Aida, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, is fight choreographer. Will Neuert, who designed last season’s Amadeus, is scenic designer. Steve TenEyck has designed lights; Matthew Given, sound. Blair Walsleben stage manages.

The title role of Cyrano is played by one of PSF’s most versatile and accomplished actors, Greg Wood. Last season, Wood undertook leading roles as Leontes in The Winter’s Tale and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew. Recent regional credits include Our Town and Wittenberg with the Arden Theatre Co. Film and TV roles include The Sixth Sense and Malevolence 2.

The beloved Roxane—a role inhabited by legendary actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt-- is portrayed by PSF newcomer Allison McLemore who most recently portrayed Eliza in Creede Repertory Theatre’s Pygmalion. Spencer Plachy, who takes on the role of the dashing but inarticulate Christian, returns for his third season with PSF; he portrayed Freddy in My Fair Lady and the Venticelli in Amadeus.

Playing the powerful nobleman Comte de Guiche is Carl N. Wallnau, fresh from his role as Malvolio in this season’s comedy, Twelfth Night. Ragueneau, the pastry chef with a deep love of poetry, including Cyrano’s, is played by Wayne S. Turney, seen in last season’s The Taming of the Shrew and The Winter’s Tale. His other PSF credits include Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady and Argan in The Imaginary Invalid.

Returning as Le Bret, Cyrano’s confidant, is John Ahlin, who portrayed Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night for PSF earlier this summer, and Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1 in 2005. Sally Mercer plays the duenna, Roxane’s chaperone, as well as the compassionate nun Mother Marguérite. Mercer was recently seen as Modron in Arden Theatre’s production of Sleeping Beauty.

Single ticket prices range from $29 to $46. Discounts are available for subscribers, seniors, students, and groups. Tickets can be ordered by calling 610-282 WILL or online at www.pashakespeare.org.

The Amaranth Foundation is the 2008 Season Sponsor. Associate Season Sponsors are The Morning Call and Service Electric Cable TV & Communications.

Currently running in the Schubert Theatre is Shakespeare’s King Lear, through August 3. This season also features a musical adaptation of Kipling’s classic, The Jungle Book (thru Aug 2). Two productions have closed: Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker, and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

The free outdoor Green Show completes the season's offerings and is performed one hour prior to each evening performance.

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University is the Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth and a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. An independent 501 c 3 organization, PSF receives support from DeSales University and relies on contributions from individuals, government agencies, corporations and foundations. PSF is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and the Shakespeare Theatre Association of America.

For ticket information, contact PSF at 610.282.WILL or online at www.pashakespeare.org.

Principal Artists’ Biographies

JOHN AHLIN (LeBret) PSF: Twelfth Night (2008, Sir Toby); Henry IV, Part 1 (2005, Falstaff) Broadway: Journey’s End (2007 Tony Award Best Revival), The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Voices in the Dark, One Mo’ Time, Whoopee!, and Macbeth. Off-Broadway: Orson Welles in Orson’s Shadow. TV: Law and Order: SUV, Third Watch, As the World Turns, Max Bickford. As a playwright, John had his award-winning play Gray Area receive a successful Off-Broadway premiere last winter with The Barrow Group.

STEVEN DENNIS (Bellerose/Carbon) has performed in New York, Los Angeles, and Tony Award-winning regional theaters, including Hartford Stage, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse, and Syracuse Stage. An LA Weekly award recipient, last year he won a Best Actor of NJ season from The Record, for Quartermaine’s Terms, also named Best Revival by The Newark Star-Ledger. TV: Enterprise, Profiler, Miracles, The Young & the Restless, and a recurring role on Star Trek: Voyager. The Newark Star-Ledger awarded Steven Best Director of NJ season for Sight Unseen at Centenary Stage Company. PSF: Oliver in As You Like It and directed The Little Mermaid.

SAM FLEMING (Costume Designer) is the associate costume designer for The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and has design credits with the Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera (world premiere of Dead Man Walking), Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Arizona Theatre Co., Hartford Stage, Denver Center, Studio Arena, Center Stage, StageWest, ACT Seattle, Georgia Shakespeare Festival and Berkeley Rep. She designed more than 50 productions for Milwaukee Repertory Theater during her 14 years with the company. In New York, she has worked with the Pearl Theatre, Manhattan Class Company, and The Women’s Project.

RYAN FONVILLE (Valvert) makes his PSF debut with this production. Currently earning his M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, his credits include Huck Finn in Big River and Will Parker in Oklahoma! at the Paramount Theatre; the Venticelli in Amadeus at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre (NCT), and the Spartan Ambassador in Lysistrata at NCT.

MATTHEW GIVEN (Production Manager/Sound Designer) rejoins PSF for his fifth summer as resident sound designer and first as production manager. He has designed sound for 25 PSF productions, including the current season. Favorites include The Winter’s Tale, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Merchant of Venice, and Man of LaMancha. He holds an M.F.A. in sound design from Ohio University.

GORDON GRAY (Ligniere/Capuchin, Montfleury) appeared as Giuseppi Bonno in last year’s Amadeus at PSF. Formerly a professor of Theatre Arts at Barnard College, Gordon has been a road warrior for the past dozen years or so, appearing in a number of Broadway Tours. Favorite roles include: Max in Sound of Music, Strauss in Titanic, Pop Carnes in Oklahoma! (675 performances), and Herr Schultz in Cabaret. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Gordon is co-author, with Isy Monk, and director of the PBS teleplay We Ain’t What We Was.

ANDREW KANE (Cuigy/Cadet) returns to PSF for his third season. A graduate of DeSales University, his previous PSF credits include The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He recently appeared as Red Dog in the Arden Theatre Company’s production of Go, Dog. Go!

KATIE MAZZOLA (Lise/Sister Claire) is an M.F.A. candidate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and received her B.A. in theatre from DeSales University in 2003. Previous roles at The Nevada Conservatory Theatre at UNLV include the title role in Lysistrata and the Venticelli in Amadeus. Other favorite roles include Annelle in Steel Magnolias at DSU, Ensemble/Luciana in The Comedy of Errors at The Shakespeare Theatre, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for The National Players Touring Company, and Jaquenetta in Love’s Labour’s Lost at PSF.

ALLISON McLEMORE (Roxane) Favorite credits include: The Madras House, The Mint Theatre Company; Pygmalion, Enchanted April, Creede Repertory Theatre; Antigone Now, Christmas Carol, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Little Women, Peterborough Players; The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Monomoy Theatre.

SALLY MERCER (Duenna/Mother Marguerite) was most recently seen as Modron in Arden Theatre’s production of Sleeping Beauty and Elaine in Luna Theater's production of Breathing Corpses. Her roles at PSF include Amanda in The Glass Menagerie and Maria in Twelfth Night (2000).

PATRICK MULCAHY (Producing Artistic Director) Since assuming leadership in 2003, Mr. Mulcahy has overseen PSF's return to artistic excellence and financial stability, rebuilding the professional company of artists and achieving increasing national recognition for the Festival. Further accomplishments include: PSF’s awards from the National Endowment for the Arts; featuring artists who are winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Jefferson and Barrymore awards to the Festival; growth in all income areas; a 50% increase in attendance, and the expansion of the number of Actors’ Equity contracts per season. As a professional director, actor, and fight director, his credits include Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatre, television and radio. For PSF, he directed The Winter’s Tale last season, Henry IV, Part 1 (2005), The Tempest (1999) and acted in and served as fight director for The Taming of the Shrew (1998) and Julius Caesar (1997). As Head of Acting at DeSales, he directed ten productions for Act 1, including I Hate Hamlet, The Grapes of Wrath, The Foreigner and The Diary of Anne Frank. He holds an M.F.A. in directing from Syracuse University.

WILL NEUERT (Set Designer) designed last season’s Amadeus, As You Like It (2006) and Henry IV, Part 1 (2005). He has created the scenic designs for all Act 1 productions for the past 16 years. He was a board member and is a founding artist of PSF. As resident designer, he designed or supervised all guest designs of scenery for the Festival’s first nine seasons. He has worked at the North Shore Music Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Peninsula Players, St. Michael’s Playhouse, University of Notre Dame, The Ohio State University, and Walt Disney Imagineering. He holds a B.A. from St. Michael’s College and an M.F.A. from The Ohio State University.

SPENCER PLACHY (Christian) returns for his third consecutive season at PSF. In the past two seasons, he was seen as one of the Venticelli in Amadeus and as Freddy in My Fair Lady. He just finished playing Chad in All Shook Up in Lancaster, PA. He's been on two National Tours, including Curly in Oklahoma! and Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof. Other credits include Ethan in The Full Monty and John Borden in The Lost Colony.

DENNIS RAZZE (Director, Composer; Associate Artistic Director) is the Director of Theatre at DeSales University. He directed the PSF’s highly acclaimed production of Amadeus last season. More recently, he directed Thoroughly Modern Millie for Act 1. Mr. Razze has directed more than 50 productions at DeSales and was awarded Certificates of Merit from the American College Theatre Festival for his direction of Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, and The Music Man. He was the guest director for Lehigh University’s production of The Music Man at the Zoellner Arts Center in 2003. For PSF, he directed Man of La Mancha, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, and Twelfth Night. Mr. Razze has also composed scores for PSF’s The Tempest, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

RICK SORDELET (Fight Director) has more than 44 Broadway credits, including Tarzan, Aida, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Curtains, and Cry Baby as well as over 43 first class productions all over the world. He has staged hundreds of fights for Off Broadway and regional theaters. He is the Fight Director for Cyrano the opera starring Placido Domingo at The Metropolitan Opera, The Royal Opera House, and La Scala in Milan. Film and television credits include The Game Plan starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carell, Juliett Binoche and Dane Cook, Hamlet starring Campbell Scott, and head stunt coordinator for Guiding Light. Rick received the 2007 Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence by the Lucille Lortel Foundation. A board member for the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and a company member with Drama Dept. in New York City, he teaches at Yale School of Drama, The New School University, and The Neighborhood Playhouse.

STEVE TENEYCK (Lighting Designer) Design work in theatre, dance, opera, performance art and live event has been seen both nationally and internationally. Companies include Tacoma Opera, Syracuse Opera, Minnesota Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Syracuse Stage, TACT –NYC, Big Art Group NYC, Pacific Performance Project, The Kitchen Theatre Company, The Hangar Theatre, Merry-go-Round, Ensemble Theatre, and The Herson Group Ltd. Steve teaches lighting design at Ithaca College and received his M.F.A. from the University of Washington in Seattle.

WAYNE S. TURNEY (Ragueneau) portrayed Archidamus/Antigonus/Old Shepherd in The Winter’s Tale last season at PSF, and his credits here include Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady and Argan in The Imaginary Invalid. An Associate Professor with the Performing and Fine Arts faculty at DeSales, Turney was formerly a regular with the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Actors’ Summit, and the Cleveland PlayHouse.

CARL N. WALLNAU (DeGuiche) Recently portrayed Malvolio in PSF’s Twelfth Night. Previous PSF credits: Sleuth, Amadeus, Charley’s Aunt, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew. He has worked at numerous regional theatres including Paper Mill Playhouse, Second Stage in NYC, People’s Light, Hartford Stage, Bristol Riverside, Forum Theatre, Premiere Stages, Orlando Shakespeare Company and 14 months on the road with the First National Tour of Titanic. He serves as Artistic Director of the Centenary Stage Company, an Equity theatre located on the campus of Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ, where he is also Associate Professor of Theatre Arts and Chairman of the Fine Arts Department. He received his M.F.A. from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts.

BLAIR WALSLEBEN (Production Stage Manager) returns to PSF for her fifth season. Favorite PSF productions include: The Taming of the Shrew (2007), Amadeus, Sleuth, Othello, and Aladdin. Other favorites: Once Upon A Mattress, Alice in Wonderland and many productions at Bristol Riverside Theatre including: I Do! I Do!, Around the World in Eighty Days, Forever Plaid, Moon Over Buffalo, I Married Wyatt Earp (world premiere), Fences, and Olympus on My Mind.

GREG WOOD (Cyrano de Bergerac) PSF credits: The Winter’s Tale, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Private Lives, Hamlet, Richard III, Moon for the Misbegotten and others. Recent credits include: Our Town and Wittenberg with the Arden Theatre Co., and School for Wives for the Lantern Theatre. Film and TV, Upcoming: The Happening, The Lovely Bones and Malevolence 2, also, The Sixth Sense, Signs, A Gentleman’s Game, and roles on Law & Order, Ed, Hack, and Homicide.

Members of the media are invited to contact Lisa Higgins for tickets, images and additional information at 610.282.9455, ext. 4, or via e-mail at Lhp0@desales.edu