Così is a play by Australian playwright Louis Nowra which was first performed in 1992. Set in Melbourne in 1971, Così is semi-autobiographical.
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Plot summary
Lewis Riley, the main character, is a sleek young, inexperienced university student who is given the task of directing a play in a mental hospital. At first he is not keen to do so, giving the reason for having taken on this job as "I need the money". The venue is a theatre that smells of "burnt wood and mould", the cast are patients with very diverse needs, and the play is Mozart's Così fan tutte. Through working with the patients, Lewis eventually discovers a new side of himself which allows him to become emotionally involved and to value love, while anti-Vietnam war protests erupt in the streets outside.
Characters
The patients make up a wide spectrum including Roy, a manic-depressive with a passion for theatre; Cherry, a Lewis-addicted romantic and compulsive liar; Ruth, obsessed with counting and distinguishing illusions and reality; Doug, a pyromaniac; Julie, a pretty junkie; Henry, an older, silent man, previously a lawyer and Zac, a drugged up pianist.
Other characters include Lewis' girlfriend Lucy and his best mate Nick, whose strongly left-wing ideals Lewis has followed up until now without question. Meeting patients with different views to Lucy and Nick opens Lewis' eyes to other people and the world around him, teaching him to be more tolerant.
The play was also made into a film in 1996, starring Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Barry Otto, David Wenham and Aden Young, screenplay also by Nowra. It won the Australian Film Institute award for best screenplay.
Recent Revivals
The play was performed at The White Bear Theatre in Kennington, starring Australian actor Mark Little as the manic-depressive Roy in July 2008[1].
External links
- Cosi at the Internet Movie Database
- Short video interview with Louis Nowra talking about his plays and writing methods including Cosi
- Teacher's Noteson Louis Nowra and Cosi
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