Studies in the Mass Media - December 1962 - Volume IV - Number 3

Sep 21, 2026

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The issue surveys Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac and explains how its 1897 debut resonated with its French historical moment. It introduces Rostand’s intentions, the idealistic mid-period theatrical revival, and the audience reception described through contemporary accounts. The guide outlines the stage play’s structure and themes, connects characters to real people, and details how the work is adapted for television, including production elements, cast credits, and learning materials such as suggested questions and activities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time31 min

AccessFree to download

The Author of the Stage Play

The Play

Guide Prepared by

The Stage Play, a Romantic Drama

Rostand As Dramatist

Cyrano's Panache

Other Characters in the Play Based on Real People

Adapting the Stage Play for Television

Producing a Television Version of Cyrano de Bergerac

The Sets of the Television Play

Summary of the Television Play

References to Note

Suggested Questions and Activities

Quotations to Identify

Cast and Credits

STUDIES IN THE MASS MEDIA TELEVISION GUIDE THE AALLMARK HALL OF FAME PRESENTS IN THIS ISSUE Cyrano de Bergerac Christopher Plummer as Cyrano de Bergerac Guide Prepared by HARDY R.FINCH GERALDINE MARSHALL of the English Department Greenwich High School Greenwich,Connecticut Supervisor of English in the Greenwich Public Schools STUDIES IN THE MASS MEDIASuccessor to 'Photoplay Studies' Editor……… … … ……Joseph Mersand Consultant…………………… …………………Ruth M.LewinAdvisors………… ……… ………….Robert C.O'Hara University of South FloridaC o n t en t s Robert E.ShaferThe Author of the Stage Play……………3Columbia UniversityThe Play.…………………………………… …4The Real Cyrano As a Comic Her……………6Walter J.Ong,S.J.The Stage Play,a Romantic Drama…… …7St.Louis UniversityRostand As Dramatist……………… ……7Cyrano's Panache…………………… …9Gunnar HornOther Characters in the Play Based onReal People………………………………10Benson High School,OmahaAdapting the Stage Play for Television……… … ……Robert Hartung l1Eula P.MohleProducing a Television Version of CyranoHouston Public Schoolsde Bergerac… ………George Schaefer 12The Sets of the Television PlayFred H.Marcus……… …… ………Warren Clymer 13Summary of the Television Play……… …14Los Angeles State CollegeReferences to Note…………………………18Suggested Questions and Activities………18Louis ForsdaleQuotations to Identify……………………19Columbia UniversityCast and Credits…………………… …20 The authors wish to express their thanks toMarion C.SheridanWilliam Alexander of Carl Byoir and Associates,New Haven Public SchoolsInc.,and Miss Deborah Ayres of Cos Cob,Conn.,for special materials used in the preparation ofPatrick D.Hazardthe guide.Beaver College | Studies in the Mass Media+December 1962+Volume IV+Number 3 | | --- | Second-class postage paid at Champaign,Illinois,and at Kansas City,Missouri. Correspondence should be addressed to:Studies in the Mass Media,508 South Sixth Street,Champaign,Illinois. Subscription rates:$2.00 per year;class subscription(35 copies)$35.00 per year.Single copies,$.30.In quantities of 1-50,$.30;51-100,$.20;101-1,000,$.15;1,001 ormore,$.10. Published monthly October through May.Copyright,1962,by The National Council ofTeachers of English. # The Author of the Stage PlayEdmond Rostand—1868-1918 In order to understand better the immense success which Rostand's playCyrano de Bergerac has had since its first performance in 1897,we mustfirst understand something of the time in which it was written and the in-tention of the author in presenting such a character. The French theatre at the time this play was performed was in the midstof an idealistic movement which had caused a revival of the drama in verse.The audiences of the time had been subjected for some time to naturalisticdramas of everyday life and were dazzled by Rostand's reconstruction of aseventeenth century atmosphere filled with theatrical duels,romanticism,and idealistic love.Rostand had written other plays,but none comparedwith his masterpiece Cyrano de Bergerac.The seventeenth century was forFrance a period of wonderful national energy.Thus the play alled theattention of the French back to a time when the nation was full of youthfuland vigorous ambition,when a Frenchman would hardly believe that therewas anything that he could not do if he set his mind to it,when it became thefashion to say that"impossible was not a French word."Ever since the warof 1870,the pall of defeat had hung over the French,and the dramatists hadreflected this defeatism in their plays.Therefore the acclaim that greetedCyrano de Bergerac on December 28,1897 was something more than ap-plause for a great dramatic work;there was gratitude for the twenty-nineyear old poet who had dispelled a gloomy atmosphere and helped to begina new tradition for the French theatre. | The telecast of
Cyrano de Bergerac
will take place on
The Hallmark Hall of Fame
Thursday evening,December 6,1962
See your local TV progr

FAQs

What background does the guide provide to help readers understand Rostand’s success with Cyrano de Bergerac?

It explains the mid-1890s French theatre climate, the idealistic revival in verse drama, and the contrast with earlier naturalistic dramas. It also links the play’s acclaim to French cultural mood after the 1870 war defeat.

How does the guide describe the original publication and dedication connected to the play’s leading role?

It notes that the published play carried the subtitle “An Heroic Comedy in Five Acts.” It also states the dedication to Constant Coquelin, who later played the lead in New York.

What kinds of learning materials does the issue include for classroom use?

The contents list suggested questions and activities, references to note, and quotations to identify, alongside a cast and credits section for the television presentation.

Sep 21, 2026

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