Edmond Rostand (1868-1918) was born in Marseilles, France, in 1868, the son of a distinguished and cultured family. The young Rostand was educated first in Marseilles, then in Paris, where he earned a degree in law. It was a profession, however, that he was never to practice. He made his literary debut in 1890 with a volume of lyric verse, and his first important play, The Romancers, was produced by the Comédie Francaise in 1894. In 1897, Cyrano de Bergerac won critical acclaim and spectacular popular success, and Rostand further solidified his position as the foremost of modern French romantic dramatists with L'Aiglon in 1900 and Chantecler in 1910.
Eteel Lawson was educated in France and holds two Masters' degrees, in International Relations and Economics. The author of a children's book and a collection of short stories, she worked for the United Nations in Paris and now lives on the French Riviera.
Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Vassar College,
Cynthia B. Kerr earned a Ph.D. in French and Humanities from Stanford University. Specializing in performance studies and Early Modern France, she has published three books, including
Corneille à l'affiche: vingt ans de créations théâtrales, 1980-2000. She is the author of more than eighty articles and book reviews published in journals in Europe and the United States. She regularly writes for
Choice, the publication of the American Library Association.
