Authors

French · 1868–1918

Edmond Rostand

Edmond Rostand was a French dramatist whose Cyrano de Bergerac (1897) was the greatest theatrical triumph of fin-de-siècle Paris — a romantic verse drama that has never left the repertoire. Its premiere with Coquelin in the title role produced the longest sustained standing ovation in theatrical history. He wrote during a period dominated by naturalism but deliberately chose verse romance, and his success was an extraordinary counter-current. L'Aiglon (1900), about Napoleon's son, was another enormous success. He was elected to the Académie française at thirty-three.