STAGE REVIEW : ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ Seizes Globe Playhouse

Part of the oft-condemned “wisdom of the west,” as Bertrand Russell referred to it, is the freedom of the individual to shoot him/herself in the foot and, paradoxically, be the stronger for it. Edmund Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” is the quintessential expression of this, where the Olympian man of mind and body is undone yet exalted by his own ugliness.

Lane Davies understands this very well. His elegant Cyrano in Frederick Hoffman’s production at the Globe Playhouse shows that there is only one way to seize the character--with virile romanticism. If only the rest of Hoffman’s cast were so enterprising.

Grant MacKenzie Goodeve’s Christian misses the comic irony of being the straight man to Roxane’s affections, and Koni McCurdy’s Roxane is a poor romantic second to Davies’ smoldering sexuality. It’s a sexuality, though, that embraces all of Cyrano’s contradictions, which is what allows us to look past Davies’ tendency for mannered line readings.

“Cyrano” is also a play of images, and while Roger Bennett’s costumes fill the eye, fight director Joseph Della Sorte’s sword fights commit the sin of looking staged.

At 1107 N. Kings Road, Fridays through Sundays, 8 p.m., until Dec. 11. Tickets: $8.50-$17.50; (213) 654-5623.