APT's 'Cyrano de Bergerac' a heart wrencher

By Aaron Conklin, Madison Magazine Arts & Culture

July 21, 2017

In Edmond De Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” the fair Roxane is wooed, unbeknownst to her, by the combination of two men—the dashing but hopelessly inarticulate Christian and the titular, super-schnozzed swashbuckler, who lends his poetry-soaked wit to his romantic rival. American Players Theatre’s current production of “Cyrano,” playing on the Hill Theater stage through Oct. 6, also woos its audience through the combination of two men—both of whom happen to be named “Jim.”

The first is Jim Ridge, who plays his Cyrano with a heartbreaking mix of bluster, bravado and aching self-awareness. The second is director Jim DeVita, who’s responsible for trimming De Rostand’s weighty script and adding some modern touches to make it zip. But DeVIta’s done more than just frame the script—he seems also to have framed Ridge’s performance in his own image.

DeVita never got around to playing Cyrano—the last time APT staged the play was a decade ago, and that honor went to Lee Ernst—but there are actually points in the play where Ridge seems to effect some of DeVita’s clipped speech patterns and coiled posture, familiar to those who’ve seen DeVita play the hero. This observer isn’t sure if the phenomenon is due to direction or simple osmosis, but it’s noticeable if you’ve seen both men stride the Spring Green stage.

Which is not to say that Ridge doesn’t put his own distinguished stamp on his character. It’s not hard to convince yourself that there’s a part of Cyrano lodged somewhere in Ridge’s soul; both can summon bluster to cover what could be mistaken for a melancholy affect.

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