Edmond Rostand
The French playwright who defied theatrical realism with the soaring verse and unforgettable nose of 'Cyrano de Bergerac'.
1868–1918 (age 50)·French poet and dramatist·Birthday: April 1·The Gilded Age
Biography
At a time when French theater was dominated by the grim naturalism of Émile Zola, Edmond Rostand delivered a dazzling, defiant dose of romanticism. His masterpiece, 'Cyrano de Bergerac,' premiered in Paris in 1897 and was an instant, overwhelming sensation. The play, written in flowing alexandrine verse, told the story of a gifted swordsman and poet with a comically large nose, whose secret love and eloquent bravery captured the public's heart. Its success was a cultural event, reviving poetic drama and making a star of its lead actor, Benoît-Constant Coquelin. Rostand, who wrote the play while quite ill, became a national celebrity overnight. Though he struggled with health and writer's block for the rest of his short life, he produced other notable works, including 'L'Aiglon,' about Napoleon's son, and 'Chantecler.' His legacy is that of a theatrical magician who proved that wit, passion, and flamboyant heroism could still pack a playhouse.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Edmond was born in 1868, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Edmond Was Born
The biggest hits of 1868
Edmond's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1868Born
President: Andrew Johnson
1873Started school
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Became a teenager
President: Chester A. Arthur
1884Could drive
President: Chester A. Arthur
1886Could vote
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1889Turned 21
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1898Turned 30
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1908Turned 40
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1918Turned 50
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
Key Achievements
- Wrote 'Cyrano de Bergerac' (1897), one of the most popular and frequently performed plays in world theater.
- Elected to the Académie Française in 1901, a rare honor for a writer so young.
- Authored 'Les Romanesques' (1894), which later became the basis for the long-running musical 'The Fantasticks.'
Did You Know?
He was the youngest writer ever elected to the Académie Française at the time, at age 33.
Despite 'Cyrano's' huge success, he suffered from chronic pleurisy and depression for much of his life.
He was a close friend of the biologist and Nobel laureate Charles Richet.
“A great nose indicates a great man—genial, courteous, intellectual, virile, courageous.”
