Jaunted

· Cyrano de Bergerac:
Penned by Edmond Rostand, Cyrano is a classic tale of romance and tragedy that's good for the lovebirds. French army man and poet Cyrano falls for the foxy Roxane but his ginormous schnoz leaves him too self-conscious to pursue his lady love. Instead, Cyrano offers to help his fellow soldier Christian win her affections by ghostwriting love letters. Roxane falls in love with letters' author not realizing it is Cyrano. Warning: This one is a good one, but it clocks in at three hours.

· Twelfth Night:
For lighthearted comedy, check out Twelfth Night. When Viola gets shipwrecked in a strange land, she disguises herself as a boy named Cesario and works her way into the court of Duke Orsino. Impressed by this articulate and handsome young man, Orsino sends Cesario to woo Lady Olivia on the Duke’s behalf, but Olivia ends up falling in love with Cesario. Meanwhile Viola has fallen for Orsino. Cross dressing, mistaken identities and misplaced affections ensue, as that wacky Shakespeare is prone to do.

· Coriolanus:
Coriolanus is the most serious work of the bunch, and it's Shakespeare’s final tragedy. This political drama tells the story of the great Roman general Coriolanus, who's manipulated by his power-hungry momma Volumnia and whose arrogance leads to his own downfall.

Related Stories:
· Old Globe Theatre [Official Site]
· Character Study [SignOnSanDiego.com]
· Theater Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Craig Schwartz]