This is the first of many folks I’ll be posting about returning from my Top 20 list for last year’s festival to the 2026 Fringe. A lot of artists on my list last year returned again this summer for more fun and entertainment.
Last year, the Small Waves artists were lampooning reality TV dating shows with their all-lesbian (plus one drag queen) extravaganza “Cabin Fever,” for which my 5 start mini-review online included both the phrase “so many lesbians, so little time” and “just as funny as it is bawdy and unexpected”
This year, they’re going in a completely different, but still very queer, direction and adapting the Edmond Rostand romantic classic “Cyrano de Bergerac” which they described for the Fringe’s Instagram account as “a modern, sapphic presentation of a time-honored classic that stays true to the story, even if it lacks any big noses.”
Description:
A queer heroic comedy in five acts. The story you never knew you already know, like you've never seen it before. An adaptation of Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac."
Venue - Theatre in the Round (TRP)
Content Warnings - Abuse/physical violence, Adult language, Blood, Crude Humor
Genre and Content - LGBTQIA+ Content, Comedy, Drama, Literary Adaptation, Religious Content, Shakespearian Elements
Ages 12 to 15 and Up
In their press packet pitch, Small Waves adds the following:
“Minneapolis-based and queer-owned, theatre production company Small Waves seeks to celebrate theatre for theatre’s sake. This latest celebration - Katie Christ’s adaptation of the 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand - presents a classic story that you never knew you already knew, like you’ve never seen it before. This production brings together a diverse group of Twin Cities artists, swapping swords for boxing, and long noses for queerness. Audiences can expect to laugh, to cry, and to wonder just what might take them to the moon.”
They call it “a queer heroic comedy, in a new ‘old’ adaptation of Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac." We've added sapphic flavor while retaining the period language and emphasizing the poetry of the original play.”
All of which I am very much down for. After watching Small Wave assemble a great group of improvisers and set them loose on a well-constructed and hilarious satirical concept, I’m extremely interested in watching them take a classic, swoony old love triangle and make it queer.
If you’re looking for a good queer show this Fringe, “Cyrano” should be on your list.
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