Rostand, Edmond

(1868-1918)

   playwright, dramatic poet

   Born in Marseille, Edmond Rostand, whose romantic plays, mostly in verse, were a contrast to the naturalism and symbolism of the era, produced his first drama, Les Romantiques, in Paris in 1894 (the story was adapted as the long-running American musical The Fantasticks in 1960). Les Romantiques was followed in 1897 by Le Samaritaine, a play with a religious theme, and Cyrano de Bergerac, a heroic comedy in five acts that brought Rostand international fame and whose title role has been played by many famous actors, and by L'Aiglon (1900), the story of the duke of Reichstadt (see napoléon ii), the unfortunate son of napoléon i. Like previous works, this drama, whose original title role was played by sarah Bernhardt, had an immediate success and is still produced today. Rostand's last work was Chantecler (1910), with the noted actor sacha guitry playing the title role. Rostand, who was elected to the Académie Française in 1901, also left a drama, La Dernière Nuit de Don Juan that was published posthumously in 1912.