90. “Cyrano von Bergerac”

Romantic comedy in five acts by Edmond Rostand. German by Ludwig Fulda
Performance at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin

Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano von Bergerac" was performed at the Deutsches Theater on September 14. I actually have no real reason to talk about this drama on the occasion of this performance. For a performance like this only gives a distorted picture of this fine work of art. This Cyrano is half hero and half caricature; in the German theater everything has been done to make the hero unrecognizable through caricature. Nothing, absolutely nothing, of the tragicomedy that Rostand meant comes to light in the German theater. Everything is misunderstood, everything big and everything small. The style in which the drama must be presented is out of date. The performance seems barbaric. Cyrano has a big nose. It is one of his downfalls. But must one therefore "make up" a nose that makes a mockery of all nobility in art? But the whole performance is like Kainz's nose. Perhaps I will come back to the drama after all, but certainly not to this performance.

In his comedy "Cyrano of Bergerac", Edmond Rostand portrayed a person with whom fate plays a frivolous game. Goethe said of nature that it seems to have designed everything for individuality and makes nothing of individuals. Cyrano is an individual that nature makes very little of. It has only created him in order to make a thorough mockery of its own intentions. And she doesn't care that a poor person suffers because of her whims. She gives this man a soul that comes from the realm of beauty and greatness; but at the same time she makes him ugly and incapable of developing real greatness. Cyrano loves Roxane. Because of his ugliness, he cannot think of his beloved loving him again. Her affections are with the handsome but witless Christian von Neuvillette. And Cyrano has to put up with Roxane asking him to be a support in her lover's life. He fulfills this request entirely in accordance with the role that cruel nature has assigned him. Roxane would never love a man who could not speak and write about love in fine turns of phrase. Christian, this beautiful shell of a vain interior, can only win and keep her love with Cyrano's help. He teaches Christian what he would say to his beloved if he could find love in return. This allows him to describe his feelings in beautiful words. But the letters that Christian sends to Roxane are also written by Cyrano. The ugly man, who has to do without love, writes them for the beautiful man, who is undeserving of female affection. Roxane falls in love with Cyrano's soul, which speaks to her from Christian's body. The agony of deprivation and the way Cyrano endures it are the content of the comedy. The man treated disgracefully by nature tries to cope with life in his own way. His strength and prowess give him power over his fellow men, even though the nasal monstrosity that disfigures his face provides the mockers with ample material for laughter. And he exploits this power. He takes pleasure in treating those who deserve it en canaille. He likes to play with people because nature also plays with him. He has an abundance of duels to fight. For he is a good fencer; and as a victor with a weapon, he can always forget anew that fate has made him a conqueror once and for all.

Rostand has succeeded in portraying such a character with humor. You want to be angry at the frivolous game that nature plays with Cyrano, but you bury your anger in a hearty laugh. For the suffering hero allows the opposites that are present in his nature to run riot against each other; and thus the tragedy of his life repeatedly turns into comedy. However, in the depths of this drama lies the seriousness of life. Despite Cyrano's mischief, we must always remember it. Rostand has used all the means of theatricality, but he has placed these means at the service of a major life issue. The seriousness appears before us in a pleasing form. It gives up nothing of its true character; but it brings this character to outward appearance in a light play. It is to Rostand's credit that he did not allow himself to be overwhelmed by the gravity of his task. That he did not say to people: see how you suffer, how nature torments you, but showed them how they can face the serious with defiance, without assuming the mien of forbearance. Rostand is one of those poets who see the task of art as helping people to overcome the miseries of everyday life. One could put it more pathetically: he wants to take us beyond reality. His free style is proof of this fundamental artistic conviction. Ludwig Fulda has rendered this free style perfectly in his German translation of the comedy.