A new performance of Cyrano at Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Malaspina Theatre brought the classic comedy of love and mistaken identity by Edmond Rostand to life with drama students on and offstage acting, directing, managing sets, and overseeing the technical production of the large-scale play.
The program introduces Cyrano as “a brilliant poet and a fearsome duelist, but he is convinced that his oversized nose makes him unworthy of the woman he loves, the beautiful Roxane. When he agrees to help a handsome but tongue-tied young soldier woo her, a legendary tale of sacrifice and secret love begins.”
Director Leon Potter said Cyrano was chosen in part for its large cast of 20 roles to allow everyone an opportunity to participate. Potter didn’t hold auditions, but rather invited anyone interested to join. This allowed more experienced actors to take on the larger roles, while also giving newcomers a chance to be on stage for the first time.
The production also allowed students to explore sword fighting and period-accurate costumes, which gave the production its own distinct look. Zoe Webb, who played Lise in the production, found the most challenging part of preparing for the role was “understanding how it was back then, because it’s set in the 16th century.” She said rehearsals helped her advance her acting skills while also building a sense of community with the cast.
Webb said, “Leon is … very organized, and we know what we’re doing. We can see his vision. The rehearsal process was a lot friendlier than I thought it would be.”
However, a production of this scale was not without challenges, including the fact that the script is written entirely in rhyming couplets. Potter said, “When we first did a reading of the script, it clocked in at about four and a half hours.” It had to be cut down to a more manageable two hours for performances that ran Mar 5-14, 2026.
Another challenge was damage to the nearly 40-year-old stage. Potter said, “The first two weeks of set building were ‘Do we have a revolve? Do we not revolve? Can we get it working again? Can we repair it?” A revolve is a turntable built into the stage to allow for quick set changes.
Assistant Stage Manager Harley Berkeley highlighted that the most complex part of the production was its scale. He said, “It was a lot keeping everything organized, making sure that I absorbed all the information and wrote it down,” so it could be passed down to the cast and crew.
For Berkley, it was very eye-opening to see how much organization is needed for a show of this scale. “I’ve done stage one before, on a significantly smaller scale.” The audience is often unaware of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the show. Berkeley said, “Designers spent weeks and weeks picking out the sounds and deciding where the lights go. Every single set piece had hours to go into it.”
Cyrano was seen by nearly 1400 people over its six nights of performances. If you enjoyed Cyrano and want to explore upcoming performances and events at Malaspina Theatre, or join future productions, contact the Satyr Players Club to become a member.
