The Art of Swordplay on set of ‘Cyrano’ (Video)

“It has timeless romantic inclinations.”

Yes, and as I discovered when I visited the set of Cyrano, now playing at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, there’s no shortage of dashing swashbuckling. Fight call!

In this Stark Insider episode I meet up with the love-torn, nose-challenged Cyrano himself (J. Anthony Crane) and Jonathan Rider, a firefighter by day, and fight director by night.

Needless to say, a duel ensues.

“In the end, it’s about what kind of choices will you make before you die,” says J. Anthony Crane when describing the play. “And how will you best live your life?”

On this day I’m fortunate to meet up with such a skilled instructor as Rider. Watch how he effortlessly demonstrates years of training, before trying (and trying again) to teach me how to kill him. They make it look so easy in the movies.

How will you best live your life?

The public continues to be fascinated by the character — by the concept — of Cyrano.

In the 80’s it was turned into a charming feature film, Roxanne, starring Steve Martin. Over the years countless books, essays, and, as you might expect, romantic poems have been published about Cyrano.

J. Anthony Crane as Cyrano - TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Jonathan Rider - Fight Director Loni Stark with Jonathan Rider on set of Cyrano Swordplay - Targets How to Swordplay

Now the story comes to the TheatreWorks stage, courtesy of a new, contemporary adaptation by Michael Hollinger (Opus) and Aaron Posner (My Name is Asher Lev). TheatreWorks founder, and icon of the San Francisco Bay Area theater scene Robert Kelley directs (interview).

Join me as I head the set of Cyrano, and attempt to match the panache of the world’s most romantic swashbuckler in a duel to the death…

WATCH: Cyrano – The Art of Swordplay

Loni Stark
Loni Stark is an artist at Atelier Stark, psychology researcher, and technologist whose work explores the intersection of identity, creativity, and technology. A self-professed foodie and adventure travel enthusiast, she collaborates on visual storytelling projects with Clinton Stark for Stark Insider. Her insights are shaped by her role at Adobe, influencing her explorations into the human-tech relationship. It's been said her laugh can still be heard from San Jose up to the Golden Gate Bridge—unless sushi, her culinary Kryptonite, has momentarily silenced her.