"Cyrano de Bergerac," Brian Hooker translation, opens at Heartwood Theater on July 23, in the Poe Theater at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, sporting a bit of everything: drama, romance, tragedy and Commedia dell'arte.

Inspired by the "real Cyrano" who lived in France during the early-mid 1600s, Edmond Rostand penned this play in 1897. Rostand's extraordinary lyric powers birthed a universal hero version of Cryano, capturing the imagination of readers, ever since.

Heartwood's director, Griff Braley, is on a search for the "heart" of the story.

"It's about the word,” Braley said. “It begins with the word and ends with the word. I'm a 'fundamentalist' when it comes to literature. Only when we understand what the writer is writing about, can we deliver a truthful play."  

So director and cast continue to mine the meaning from the words, to discover the truthfulness of each character and their relationships, to do the honest and challenging work of theater. Concurrently, the crew works in and around rehearsals, melding together the many technical facets into one seamless piece of theater.

The air rings with swordplay and poetry, and the vibrations of this story are resonating in the Poe. Cyrano will be a "Heartwood Production," rich, unique and engaging. It's a must see in the midst of this Midcoast summer. 

Eight performances will run between July 23 and Aug. 1, in the Parker Poe Theater at Lincoln Academy. Times and ticket prices vary. For full details, visit www.heartwoodtheater.org, email info@heartwoodtheater.org or phone 207-563-1373. Sellouts are common in this 150 seat space — reservations very strongly recommended.