YEAR 11 ENGLISH:

READING AND CREATING

Key Text: COSI 2018
SAC INFORMATION
SAC TASK SAC CONDITIONS SAC WEIGHTING SAC DATE
Creative Text Response  Included in this booklet
presented orally to peers  Must include a 33% Term 2, Week 2
statement of Intention

UNIT OVERVIEW

Term 1 Dates School Assessed Coursework

Week 7 Cosi Labour Day (12 Mar)

12th Mar

Week 8 Cosi Cosi Incursion (23rd March)

19th Mar

Week 9 Cosi

26th Mar

Term 2

Week 1 Cosi Draft of oral creative SAC /create notes

16th April

Week 2 Cosi Final draft of Cosi oral creative SAC with a written
explanation – Statement of Intention
23rd April
 UNIT BOOKLET
CONTENTS PAGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
Unit 1 outcome/The Assessment Task 3
Synopsis of COSI/Vocabulary list 9
Article on COSI 10
Social and Cultural Context of the text 12
Background /Music
Orientation Activities – scene questions and tasks 15
Characters/Characters and relationships 19
Themes, Ideas and Values 23
Symbols 25
Focus on Lewis (Inner Journey) 26
Structure, language and Style 28
Short Story Form 38
 Unit 1 Reading and Creating texts
Cosi (play) by Louis Nowra

Outcome 1- Reading and Creating

On completion of this unit the student should be able to produce analytical and creative
responses to texts and present it orally.

The assessment task

Students to transform and adapt key moments or aspects of the text ‘Cosi’ creatively as a way to
develop and demonstrate an understanding of the original written work. The connections made
between the original text and the creative response needs to be credible and authentic. Students
must write a creative piece in the form of a monologue, a short story, an extra scene for the play or
any other creative response to the play ‘Cosi’. Students must also write a short written explanation
which explains the intentions in writing this piece. Students present the creative piece to the class
orally in 4-6-minute presentation. Students will be assessed according to the criteria found in this
booklet.

The statement of Intention is 250 – 300 words. Justification of the creative process and must be
presented with a copy of the creative writing.

Oral presentation skills – student to present their creative piece to peers and need to employ the
conventions and skills of public speaking.

Using the set text Cosi as a springboard, the creative text response gives students the opportunity
to employ their language skills in an imaginative way. At its heart, though this task is still a response
to the text; detailed knowledge of the text is critical and the creative piece must work closely with
the text and stay in the world of the text.

Individual teachers will organise how and when written work is due and the scheduling of the oral
presentations.
 Point Cook Senior College

Unit 1 English – Outcome 1

Reading and Creating SAC

Due Date: Term 2, Week 2 SCORE /30

Task: Students to transform and adapt key moments or aspects of the text ‘Cosi’ creatively as a
way to develop and demonstrate an understanding of the original written work. The connections
made between the original text and the creative response needs to be credible and authentic.
Students must write a creative piece in the form of a monologue, a short story, an extra scene for
the play or any other creative response to the play ‘Cosi’. Students must also write a short written
explanation which explains the intentions in writing this piece (see guidelines below). Students
present the creative piece to the class orally in 5-minute presentation. Students will be assessed
according to the criteria on the following page.
Duration: 5 minutes
Conditions:
Draft workshopped in class
Students to use palm cards to present their presentation
Some ideas for the creative response include:
 Creating a monologue taking on the persona of one of the characters
 Create an additional scene
 present the original text from an alternative perspective
 explore a gap or silence in the original text
 create an alternative ending or continue the text from where is ended
 explore an idea, issue or theme from the original text in detail
 change the original text into a new setting
 adapt the language of the original text to create a new or different impact
You may also draw on one of the thematic prompts below if you wish:
 Illusion is a safer place than reality
 Fidelity is an impossible concept
 There are many ways to achieve personal growth
“Statement of Intention” or the Written Explanation (250-300 words)
 The written explanation should be written in paragraph form and cover FLAP+C (see below):
 Form: How have you chosen to structure your piece? Explain the form you have written in and
how you have followed this form. I have chosen to do (form)… I have used (name device)…to…(explain
purpose in piece)
 Language: What are the choices that you made about the style of language in your writing?
How is the language appropriate for the form, audience and purpose of your writing? I have used
(name language type)…language to… (explain purpose and explain suitability to audience)
 Audience: Who you are writing for - children, adults, teenagers, peers, teachers, newspaper
readers, the Government, etc. How have you targeted this audience through your writing
choices? I have used (name language type)…language to… (explain purpose and explain suitability to
audience)
 Purpose: What are you trying to achieve through this piece of writing? This piece will (name its
purpose/goal)… It will engage the reader to (feel/think/etc)…about (ideas related to the prompt)…
 Context: How have you explored the context (1970s Australia, mental health in the 1970s,
Vietnam War) and used ideas from the text? What views and values have you explored in this
writing piece and what literary devices did you select to do so? This piece examines the…(notes
aspects of context). It draws the idea that/of … (describe in more detail) from the text …. (name it).
 VCE ENGLISH SCHOOL-ASSESSED COURSEWORK: UNIT 1 OUTCOME 1 - AREA OF STUDY 1: CREATIVE RESPONSE TO TEXT
Very low
Written component: Limited
understanding of the original
text through reference to
moments, characters and
themes from the text.
0.5 1.0 1.5
Written component : Limited
development of style by using
language and literary devices,
with little consideration of the
original text.
Unit 1
Outcome
1 0.5 1.0 1.5
Produce a Oral presentation: Written and
creative oral language that shows
response limited control of conventions
to a different
selected text. Limited understanding of the
ways in which the speaker/s
use the conventions of spoken
English.
0.5 1.0 1.5
Statement of Intention: Limited
justification of decisions
related to content and
approach made during the
creative process with some
reference to the original text
and purpose, audience and
context.
0.5 1.0 1.5
Very Low 1-11 (UG)
Marking scale based on the Outcome contributing 30 marks
5|Page
DESCRIPTOR: typical performance in each range
Low
Written component: Some
understanding of the original text
through reference to moments,
characters and themes from the
text.
2.0 2.5 3.0
Written component:: Some
development of style by using
language and literary devices to
generate responses, with some
consideration of the original text.
2.0 2.5 3.0
Oral presentation: Mostly clear
written and oral language that
employs some conventions to
attempt stylistic effect. Some
understanding of some of the ways
in which the speaker/s use the
conventions of spoken English to
communicate the ideas and
meaning.
2.0 2.5 3.0
Statement of Intention: Some
justification of decisions related to
selected content and approach
made during the creative process,
demonstrating tenuous connections
to the original text and some
understanding of purpose, audience
and context.
2.0 2.5 3.0
Low 12-16 (E-D)
Medium High
Written component: Satisfactory Written component: Thorough
understanding of the original text understanding of the original text
through considered selection of key through thoughtful selection of key
moments, characters and themes moments, characters and themes
worthy of exploration. worthy of exploration.
3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Written component: Clear Written component: Considered
development of voice and style by development of voice and style by
transforming and adapting language competently transforming and
and literary devices to generate adapting language and literary
responses, with appropriate devices to generate particular
consideration of the original text. responses, with strong consideration
of the original text.
3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Oral presentation: Generally fluent Oral presentation: Expressive, fluent
and coherent written and oral and coherent written and oral
language that employs the language that employs the
appropriate use of conventions for appropriate and accurate use of
stylistic effect. Clear understanding of conventions for stylistic effect.
some of the ways in which the Detailed understanding of the ways
speaker/s use the conventions of the speaker/s use the conventions of
spoken English to communicate the spoken English to communicate the
ideas and meaning ideas and meaning
3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Statement of Intention: Sound Statement of Intention: Thorough
justification of decisions related to justification of decisions related to
selected content and approach made selected content and approach made
during the creative process, during the creative process,
demonstrating solid connections to demonstrating relevant connections to
the original text and understanding of the original text and clear
purpose, audience and context. understanding of purpose, audience
and context.
3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0
Medium (D+ - C+) High 21-23 (B – B+)
TOTAL: /30
Very high
Written component: Sophisticated and
complex understanding of the original
text through insightful selection of key
moments, characters and themes
worthy of exploration.
6.5 7.0 7.5
Written Component: Sustained
development of voice and style by
skillfully transforming and adapting
language and literary devices to
generate particular responses, with
insightful consideration of the original
text.
6.5 7.0 7.5
Oral presentation: Highly expressive,
fluent and coherent written and oral
language that employs the skillful and
accurate use of appropriate conventions
for stylistic effect. Demonstrate
perceptive insights into the ways the
speaker/s use the conventions of
spoken English to communicate the
ideas and meaning.
6.5 7.0 7.5
Statement of Intention: Insightful
justification of decisions related to
selected content and approach made
during the creative process,
demonstrating meaningful connections
to the original text and complex
understanding of purpose, audience and
context.
6.5 7.0 7.5
Very High 24 – 30 (A – A+)
Teacher comment:

6|Page
 YEAR 11 ENGLISH CONFERENCING SHEET AND STUDENT SAC REFLECTION
The Task: To produce a creative piece that responds to Louie Nowra’s Cosi. This response needs to transform and adapt key moments or
aspects of the text ‘Cosi’ and must connect to the play.
My Score My Strengths Areas for improvements or Strategies I discussed with my
Outcome to: Unit 1 Outcome 1
Indicate if this questions I have about this teacher that I can use to improve
Produce a creative response criterion this area
is higher, lower
to a different selected text. or the same as
a like SAC

Written component: an
understanding of the original text
through reference to moments,
characters and themes from the
text.
Written standard of English:
punctuation, grammar, expression,
fluency and coherency. Which
includes an understanding of the
themes, characters, writing style
and literary devices in the key text.

Written component: development

of style by using language and
literary devices, with consideration
of the original text.
This includes the ability to add
depth and create meaning to your
writing as well as demonstrating
quality planning, editing and
drafting.

7|Page
Oral presentation: Written and oral
language that demonstrates
control of conventions
An understanding of the ways in
which the speaker/s use the
conventions of spoken English

This includes speaking for a set time

and the skills of presenting in front of
peers.
Statement of Intention: Justification
of decisions related to content and
approach made during the creative
process with some reference to the
original text and purpose, audience
and context
This is the ability to describe the
decisions you made as an author
and justify your authorial decision
and connects to the key text.

Any other comments

8|Page
Synopsis

First produced in 1992, COSI has become one of the most successful Australian plays produced in that
decade. A terrific play about madness, illusion, sanity…and theatre. “Real madness and angst only occurred
when I worked with professional actors.” Louis Nowra

In a mental institution in 1971, Lewis, a young director, takes on the task of mounting a production of
Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte in the burnt-out theatre while protests against the Vietnam War are being staged
outside.

Semi-autobiographical in nature, Louis Nowra has written a play about theatre, madness, illusion, sanity
and life. COSI explores a life lesson for Lewis, a young director who takes on the task of producing a play
with the patients who live there. As his life is touched by these extraordinary people and his operatic
production (Cosi Fan Tutte) lurches forward, we learn, along with Lewis, that when chasing your dreams it
helps to be a little crazy.

On one level, COSI is a poignant look at life through the eyes of patients at an insane asylum. On another,
it’s an hilarious take on the madness of creative endeavour and the chaotic terror of getting up there and
making a fool of yourself.

Cosi Vocabulary

‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ “funny farm”

“music of the spheres” American Imperialism

Anxiety disorder Asylum

Betrayal Black comedy

Brecht’s Galileo Charlatan (fraud)

Commitment (promise, loyalty) Committed

Communism Confidence

Demonstration Depression

Director Disguise (conceal)

Drug dependency Emotionally volatile (unpredictable)

Empathise (understand) Empowerment

Enthusiasm Fantasy

Farce (mockery) Fidelity

Free love Ideology

Illusion Imagination

Impulsive Irony
9|Page
Infidelity (betrayal) Insensitive

Institution Interpretation

Irony Junk (drug)

Libretto (words of the opera) Love

Madness Mental health

Mesmer (physician) Mood swings

Moratorium Mozart

Obsessive compulsive disorder One-liners

Orgy Patient

Phobia Politics

Pyromaniac Reality

Self-esteem Shock treatment

Social change Stutter

Substance abuse Theatre

Truth Unfaithful

Viet Cong Vietnam War

Wagner

Cosi

Maria Joseph
The Age May 03, 2010

In Louis Nowra's Cosi there is the world beyond the stage, and the world that materialises upon it. The main character,
Lewis, faces background issues to do with the Vietnam War, and his relationships with his housemates. Similarly, for the
asylum inmates there is the dangerous reality of the institution and the aspects of their various illnesses. These concerns
of the outside world become entwined with the narrative of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte on stage. Reality and fiction meld. A
gentler, more comical representation of their lives is formed and then performed.

Cosi is set in 1971 in Melbourne. Thus it involves the historical context of the anti-Vietnam War protests and the feminist
movement for women's equal rights. Lewis, his girlfriend, Lucy, and housemate, Nick, are all opposed to the war. Nick
and Lucy are absorbed in organising a moratorium, or protest march, against the war.

For them, this takes precedence over their university studies or acting pursuits. They therefore become annoyed with
Lewis, who seems more interested in his production of Cosi Fan Tutte with the asylum inmates. As Lucy says: ''How to
stop the war in Vietnam is important ... Love is an emotional indulgence for the privileged few. ''She refers to the theme
of infidelity, which is central to the opera. Lucy and Nick's shared passion against the war, along with Lewis' increasing

10 | P a g e
dissociation from them, drives them to become lovers. For Lewis, the infidelity in the opera plays out with cold irony in his
personal life as Lucy betrays him.

While Mozart's opera is a comic take on what he sees as the fickle nature of women, Cosi represents multiple views on
love. In keeping with feminist discussions about the stereotypes of women, Nowra's characters voice differing opinions
on women's roles in society and in relationships. Lewis sums up the traditional view of women as put forward in Mozart's
opera: ''Woman's constancy is like the Arabian Phoenix. Everyone swears it exists, but no one has seen it.'' Various
characters challenge this view, such as Julie, when she points out that ''women are flesh and blood too''. Rather than
arguing for women being ''constant'', Julie argues that they are just like men with their own desires and needs. So, while
Lucy's liaison with Nick can be seen as confirming Mozart's rather misogynist view of women, from a modern standpoint
it merely confirms that all people are at the sway of their desires. Indeed, Nowra comically underscores this when he has
the blackout end and the lights come up on Julie and Lewis kissing. Both Lucy and Lewis have not been entirely faithful
to the other. Men are just as ''inconstant''.

But these two socio-historic themes are merely a backdrop to the centre-stage action of the group's ''mad'' performance.
Like Lewis, the audience forgets the outside world and is drawn into his struggle to create a piece of art in spite of his
actors' obsessions and quirks. Though the final performance is imperfect and comical, the accomplishment of putting on
a performance is success in itself.

At first Lewis fights against the idiosyncrasies of the actors before him. He initially opposes Roy's dream. He ignores
Ruth's obsessive needs. He is unable to reach Henry in his mute paralysis. But he gradually relents and finds a
compromising way that allows them to speak and move as actors. Ironically, it is Nick who gives Ruth a number of steps
to take, showing Lewis what ''direction'' means. Lewis gathers confidence and begins to take charge. Roy's dream,
unimaginably ambitious, becomes doable.

The performance becomes a colourful hybrid piece that includes aspects of Mozart, but more importantly reflects the
character of the group itself. For instance, it includes some of Zac's rather out-of-place accordion music. The testing of
Ferrando and Guglielmo becomes an electro-shock session that brings the harsh world of the asylum into the production.
Lewis and the audience learn more about the background of each character. Henry speaks of his wife who cheated on
him, and of his soldier father. To placate him, Lewis turns Ferrando and Guglielmo from Albanian into Australian soldiers.

Roy's narrative of his fabulous thespian parents is founded on illusion, for he is an orphan. Lewis does not mock Roy for
this, but allows him to live his dream. When Roy suffers stage fright, it is Lewis who reminds him ''to aim for the stars''.
Rather than destroy the made-up narratives of their lives, Lewis helps the group to construct a healthier illusion within the
world of theatre.

It is here among this world of fantasy, illusion and madness that a different type of love becomes apparent. This is love
for other people despite their flaws. It is about different people working together to achieve something that is beautiful in
itself.

Lewis, who initially believes that ''love is not so important nowadays'', gradually changes his mind to note that ''without
love the world wouldn't mean much''. He is no longer directing ''for the money'', but for the love of it. In directing the
performance he has been able to connect with people and to make a small difference in their lives. This is Roy's ''music
of the spheres'': the beautiful, illusory world of art that nonetheless holds up a mirror of reality to ourselves.

Dr Maria Joseph is an English/ESL teacher at Box Hill Senior Secondary College.

Text
Nowra, Louis 1992. Cosi. Currency Press, NSW.

Further reading/viewing
Boulanger-Mashberg, Anica 2010. Cosi by Louis Nowra Study Guide. Insight Publications, Elsternwick.
Joffe, Mark dir. 1996. Cosi. Miramax Films.

11 | P a g e
Social and cultural features of the 1970s

1970s - Decade in context

 The political and social unrest of the 1960s carried through to the 1970s. This mirrored social
movements in other Western countries.
 Widespread protest against Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War contributed to the withdrawal of
Australian troops in 1972.
 Prime Minister Gough Whitlam installed a range of radical reforms during his three-year tenure. In 1975,
he was controversially dismissed.
 The women's rights, Indigenous rights and environmental movements all made progress during the
1970s.The White Australia Policy was abolished in 1974, and thousands migrated to Australia from Asia
and the Middle East.

Music and entertainment

 Colour television was introduced to Australia in 1975, and was quickly adopted.
 The government encouraged the production of Australian television programmes in the 1970s by
increasing funding and raising local content quotas.
 Australian cinema enjoyed a renaissance in the 1970s, providing a forum for people to explore
issues of national identity.
 In 1974, the introduction of the FM frequency created space for more radio stations on the airwaves.
 Australian music developed a unique 'rock' sound, and pop acts like Olivia Newton-John and John
Farnham achieved international success.

Fashion in the 1970s

 Fashion in the 1970s was daring, varied, and changed frequently - mirroring the social drama of the
decade.
 Ethnic-inspired hippie fashion carried through to the early 1970s, incorporating long hair, natural,
flowing fabrics and bell-bottomed jeans.
 During the feminist movement, bras and corsets were considered symbols of oppression and were
discarded by many women.
 Many men wore flares, wide ties and fitted shirts, and grew beards and sideburns.
 Popular music, films and television programs influenced hairstyles and fashion throughout the
decade.

Sport in the 1970s

 Sport in Australia allows an expression of traditional national values. It also reflects the extent of
British and American influence on our culture.
 In the 1970s, Australia struggled to retain the sporting supremacy it once enjoyed, prompting
government initiatives like the AIS.
 In 1975, World Series Cricket revolutionised the game, and marked the beginning of Australian
sport being big business.
 The trend towards professionalism and sponsorship penetrated further into all codes of football
throughout the 1970s.
 Women were granted access to most areas of sport in the 1970s, but would struggle to achieve true
equality in the areas of funding and media coverage.

12 | P a g e
American and British cultural influence in the 1970s

 The Australian identity has continually evolved over the decades, from that of a white British colony,
to a diverse global culture.
 In 1973, American dominance of the Australian music industry prompted the introduction of local
content quotas on radio.
 Government assistance led to a resurgence of the Australian film industry in the 1970s
 Australian television was saturated with American programs in the 1970s, but local content steadily
improved in quality and quantity.
 Australian sport held fast to its British roots for many years, but has recently adopted the glitzy
presentation and TV-friendly conventions of American sport.

BACKGROUND and CONTEXT

Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War
The involvement of Australian military forces in Vietnam occurred against a background of concerns about
the Cold War (the ongoing political conflict between Russia and America after the Second World War) and
fears of Communist expansion into the western world. During the 1960s, Australia had supported America’s
‘containment’ of Communism in Southeast Asia, and sent troops to Vietnam to honour our obligations
under the Southeast AsiaTreaty Organisation (SEATO).
The Australian troops sent to Vietnam were, at first, part of the ‘regular’ army. In 1964, however, a national
military service scheme was introduced, involving conscription (compulsory army training) for 20-year-old
males. Conscription was based on birth dates and involved full-time service for two years. When conscripts
were sent to Vietnam, opposition to Australia’s involvement increased dramatically and the anti-war
movement suddenly grew from small demonstrations into huge rallies, with hundreds of ordinary
Australians taking part.The first Vietnam Moratorium (rally for a suspension of military involvement) in
Australia was held on 8 and 9 May 1970, with over 200 000 people participating across Australia. In
Melbourne, it was estimated that 100 000 people took part. These protests were important moments for
many Australians who were torn between traditional family loyalties and new political
principles

Mental health in Victoria

Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum, in the mid 1800s, was the first Australian institution for individuals with mental
illnesses. Inmates in early asylums were often there because their behaviour was seen to be a threat or
disruption to society. For example, alcoholism and homelessness were issues which were not given proper
attention; instead, people were often simply sent to asylums. Among symptoms believed to indicate insanity
were ‘”protracted sleeplessness”, “persistent headache”, and “great depression or exaltation of spirits
without sufficient cause”’ (Coleborne 2008). With such general definitions of insanity as this, it is easy to
see why the Victorian asylum system quickly became very full. By the late 1800s, approximately one in
every four hundred Victorian citizens was classified as insane. Psychiatry has had a long history of
subjecting patients to bizarre, dramatic and often barbaric (uncivilised) procedures. Sometimes these were
intended to restrain patients, but sometimes they were thought to cure specific conditions. In the 1930s, for
example, insulin shock therapy was introduced and became an accepted treatment for depression and
manic depression. At he height of its popularity, it was administered widely to institutionalised
patients.In the 1940s electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and frontal lobotomies were introduced. Lobotomies
were a form of brain surgery used to pacify patients and are now regarded as barbaric. The use of Lithium
salts (rediscovered in 1949 by Australian psychiatrist John Cade) was an attempt to control mania in
chronically hospitalised patients. In the 1950s, antidepressant drugs arrived on the scene and were used
with a range of other drugs for sedative or restraining purposes; stimulants were used to ‘liven up’ patients
with depression. Some people have argued (and Nowra might agree) that such psychiatric treatments act
as a covert form of social control. Medication offers a relatively simplistic solution to a complex problem,
and at the same time it hinders people from ‘formulating an appropriate ... response to madness and
mental distress’ (Moncrieff 2002). It was not until the 1990s that asylums in Australia were closed, and the
mentally ill were deinstitutionalised.

13 | P a g e
Music
Così Fan Tutte
Mozart and his librettist (writer of lyrics) Lorenzo Da Ponte take up the theme of fiancée-swapping,
a notion which dates back to the thirteenth century (a famous version being Shakespeare’s
seventeenth century play, Cymbeline). Mozart’s opera follows the tradition of Renaissance
commedia dell’arte plots which question the fidelity of married women – an issue by which Mozart
was troubled. The title, Così Fan Tutte, literally means ‘thus do all’ and implies all women, but is
usually translated as ‘women are like that’. The three male characters sing these words in Act
Two, Scene Thirteen, in the finale, which culminates in the reconciliation of the lovers. Despite his
glorious music, Mozart’s audiences found the plot trivial (just as Lewis’ friend Nick does).
Nineteenth-century composer Richard Wagner (Zac’s musical hero) found Così Fan Tutte
demeaning to women, whom he regarded as noble and, potentially, the moral saviours of men.
Despite such objections to the plot, the opera has endured and is popular with modern audiences.
Roy believes that it echoes with the ‘harmony of the spheres’ (p.13). This is an idea which
originated with the ancient Greek philosopher, Pythagoras, who believed that each of the planets
was enclosed in a sphere, and these spheres ascended towards heaven like the rungs of a ladder.
Each sphere emitted a sound which corresponded to notes in the musical scale, and thus brought
order and harmony to the universe. Although we no longer believe in planetary spheres, the idea
of music creating universal harmony remains.

Wagner
Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries (the most famous piece from his opera Die Walküre or The
Valkyrie) is well known today because of its many references in popular culture, including the
memorable helicopter assault scene in the film Apocalypse Now. Wagner’s music exemplifies the
intense passion of grand opera, with its powerful and rather melodramatic style, and is the
antithesis of the more graceful, classical style of Così Fan Tutte. Ride of the Valkyries would be
ridiculously inappropriate as the overture to Così FanTutte.

Twentieth-century musical references

The Electric Prunes (Zac’s favourite musicians) were a phenomenon of the drug-fuelled 1970s;
their talent was minimal and their fame was fleeting. Little Richard was a more enduring talent,
performing in the 1950s and 60s with hits ‘Tutti Frutti’ and ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’. Little Richard
was an African-American equivalent to Elvis Presley, and Doug’s comparison of Little Richard’s
music with Mozart’s is intended to be very amusing.

14 | P a g e
ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES
Forming Understandings – guided reading of COSI
To begin to understand Nowra’s COSI, it is suggested that students have some engagement with the text.
The following activities and questions will help you guide students through a reading of all or some of the
more notable scenes in the play. The activities and their related tasks could be tackled in three ways. As:
• a guided whole class reading
• divided into small group within a class and assigned sections
• short homework activities after reading scenes of the play during class time.

(All page references refer to the Currency Press edition, 1994. )

Reading a play for understanding

• Read the text for story. Be clear about what is happening in the play: What is the action? What are the
events? What happens?
• Read the text to find out about the characters. Find obvious, basic information: age, size, temperament,
relationships. Avoid making value judgments — for example, a good person.
• Read the text to discover where the action (each action) takes place. Fill out in your imagination what the
surroundings look, feel and smell like.
• Read the play for period (historical location), if applicable, and see what else you can find out about:
• the history and social life of the period
• the art, architecture and fashion of that period
• the popular music from that time
• the biographies of significant people from that time.
• Read the play for geographical background (the country, urban or rural, season, climate, weather, and
physical surroundings).
• Read the text for political background. Does the play suggest a strong political background? If so, how
does it affect the characters in relation to — authority, power, security and influence?
• Read the text for social background (class, social standing). What social groups does the play represent
and what are the values and lifestyle of those groups?

Act I scene i
1. We are immediately aware of the setting.
• How is it described?
• What is the immediate impact on the audience?
• What comment do you think Nowra is making on society’s treatment of mental illness by setting the play
in such a depressing place?
2. What are Lucy and Nick’s attitudes to what Lewis is doing at the asylum theatre? How do their
comments and actions reveal this?
3. What is Lewis’ initial justification for producing the play? Why do you think he makes this explicit?
4. Take close note of how Justin, the social worker, describes the patients to Lewis, the advice he gives and
Lewis’ reaction (pp4-7).
• List the quotes that refer to the patients.
• In your own words describe Justin’s view of the patients?
• At this early stage, what are Lewis’ feelings towards them?
5. “Love is not so important nowadays.” (p10) Explain what Lewis means here. Note the irony in Roy’s
reaction to this.
6. Nowra successfully provides a clear image of the setting and atmosphere in this opening scene. What is
the atmosphere that is created? How has this been achieved? Note, particularly how Lewis fits in and the
control, or lack of, that he shows.
We have been introduced to all of the characters.

15 | P a g e
Task: In tabular form briefly note your first impressions of each character. Are they immediately likeable?
Leave space (about 1/2 page for each character) to add your observations as you progress through the
play.

Act I scene ii
1. After the many problems of putting on an opera are confronted and the patients go out for lunch, Lewis
says to himself, “Why can’t I ever say no? Just leave. They’re mad. It’s madness...”. What does this show us
about his character? (note the stage direction)
2. Lewis’ reactions to Nick on the radio show us what about him? What differences between these two are
already evident. How do we as the audience come to this understanding?
3. Doug says, “Women like to pretend they don’t play around but they’re just more secretive about it.”
(p18) What does this imply about Doug’s attitude to women? Do you think Lewis would agree with him?
Do you agree with it?
4. Doug goes on to warn Lewis about marriage using a adage passed on by his father, “You can always find
loneliness in a marriage, but never solitude.” What does this mean? What light does it throw on Doug’s
character and how we view him?
5. Read Doug’s story (p19-20). How does this affect Lewis’ and our own perception of the patients and
their conditions?
6. What is the effect of Cherry’s duck shooting story straight (p21) after Doug’s? Does Lewis initially believe
the story? What does this tell us about the general population’s understanding of people with a mental
illness?

Task: Add to your character sheets any further information you gained from this scene. Include important
quotes where appropriate.

Act I scene iii

1. What impression of Justin is created through his involvement in this scene?
• “The experiment is over” (p22)
• “Now the position of a social worker in an asylum can be precarious. This does not look good for me or
for you, does it?” (p23)
• “Sorry is such an easy word to say.” (p23)
• “Straight out of university...” (p24)
What are your feelings towards him? Note how Nowra has achieved this?
2. When Cherry announces, “It was me! It was me!” (p23), she takes the blame for the fire from Doug. Why
does she do this? What implications does this episode have for the success of the endeavour?
3. Lewis joins the conspiracy by confirming Cherry’s story. How is this significant? How has Nowra
positioned the audience here? What would they feel about this episode?
4. The patients create many problems for Lewis in this scene, problems that add to our perception of
mental illness. As soon as he overcomes the conflict with Zac, another one, created by Ruth this time,
develops. Ruth clearly has problems distinguishing between reality and illusion. How is this theme
developed in this scene? What do these conflicts add to the audience’s picture of mental illness?
5. Cherry comments to Julie that Roy is performing a “Do it yourself lobotomy” (p27) Explain the
significance of this comment? Consider how differently the patients and the audience might have received
this if it had been spoken by Nick, for example?
6. Lewis recounts his experience with his ‘mad’ grandmother. How might his experience have influenced
his decision to take this job?

Task: What does the conversation between Lewis and Julie, and then Cherry, reveal about their views on
love? Which views do you agree with? Explain in a short paragraph.

16 | P a g e
Act I scene iv
1. Comment on how Julie describes her addiction. She distinguishes what drugs mean to the different
characters. How does she differ from Doug and Zac?
2. How does Nick display a lack of insensitivity towards to patients? What does this imply about his
character?
3. Henry’s outburst is rather a shock. Why? Why does he call Nick and Lewis “traitors”?

Task: Compare Nick and Lewis’s response to Henry’s outburst. What does this illustrate about their
characters? Support with reference from the text.

Act II scene i
1. How has Henry changed and how is this made evident to the audience?
2. The use of a Mesmer magnet is said by Lewis to be a satire on Mesmer and his supposed cures – the
magnet was used on pretend poisoning, successfully. Cherry brings in equipment for shock treatment to
use instead of this. How is this a satire on the medical procedure?
Consider this part of the scene from the audience’s perspective. What would the dramatic impact of this
be? How would the audience feel about the procedure? What point is Nowra making?
3. A philosophical discussion of love follows (on pages 60-61). Outline the individual perceptions of Lewis,
Roy, Julie and Henry? How does Julie’s view change? What motivates this change?
4. What does Henry’s revelation on pp 64-5 further reveal about him? How does it relate to his outburst in
Act I scene iv about the play “condoning the corruption of innocence”?

Task: The theatre is plunged into darkness (p65). Consider what each of the following characters are
thinking and feeling as the darkness surrounds them; Zac, Ruth, Lewis, Cherry, Julie. Choose one of the
characters and write a short inner monologue that is occurring in the character’s head and not voiced to
the audience.

Act II scene ii
1. Lucy’s arrival forces Lewis finally to decide between continuing the play with the patients and helping
out Nick and Lucy with his play and the moratorium. Explain why Lewis makes the decision he does. On a
deeper level the decision is about much more. What does this decision represent?
Task: What follows this is Lewis’ discovery that Lucy and Nick are sleeping together. Their interaction here
illustrates the divergent standards held by Lewis and Lucy. Quote several extracts of dialogue from each
character to illustrate this difference.

Act II scene iii

Consider the use of different music in the play. How does Zac’s choice of music add to the general concerns
raised by Cosi Fan Tutte?
“It’s never happened to me before.” (p75) How much experience has Roy really had?

Task: Nick’s arrival provides Lewis with the opportunity to finally consolidate his self-journey. How does
Nick attempt to excuse his behaviour with Lucy? List some quotes that show this. What does this scene add
to the issue of love and fidelity, especially in terms of mateship and the separation of sex and love?

Act II scene iv
This scene shows the final performance of Cosi Fan Tutte. Consider how the words of the opera contribute
to the ideas developed in the play as a whole.
Look closely at the last speech beginning “Happy is the man....” (p84). Explain why this is ironic.

Act II scene v
1. The performance has finished. Has there been any discernible change in the relationships the characters
have with one another? Give examples that relate to different scenes in the play.

17 | P a g e
2. Cherry is still trying to feed Lewis. How does Julie provoke her? What is Cherry’s response? How does
Lewis defuse the conflict? What does this tell us about the changes in Lewis and his sensitivity to the
idiosyncrasies of individual characters?
3. In the opening scene Lewis explains that he is directing the play because he needs the money. In this
final scene he is given his pay packet. Is this still the motivating force that it was for him in the opening
scene? Explain.

Task: What is the role of Lewis’ monologue at the close of the scene? What purpose does it serve? What
does it tell us about the lives of the characters? How does this extra information add to our understanding
of each character?

ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES - post-reading tasks

After reading the play as a whole or skim reading selected scenes, students could individually complete
one or both of the following tasks to consolidate their understanding of the changing nature of the
characters in COSI.

Representation
Design and create a representation of Lewis and his changing views. Your representation can take any form
but it should include text as well as visual material. (Poster/collage/mind-map)

Writing folio
Choose TWO of the following characters and write TWO diary entries as each character.
Characters: Lewis, Henry, Justin, Nick, Lucy.
The first entry should express the views of the character at, or near, the beginning of COSI and the second
should reflect their views and opinions at the end of the play. You should aim to express the thoughts and
feelings of the chosen characters and show the change in perception that has resulted.

Louis Nowra’s reading of COSI : “Everyone goes mad in their own particular way. The actors performing
COSI have to go mad in their own individual way”, said Nowra. Nowra thinks madness is too generalised,
and it is based on each individuals past and experiences. At the end, Lewis is no longer afraid of madness.
Lewis is thoroughly transformed by the patients. Nowra uses a mixture of laughter and madness, which is a
volatile mixture. “We usually see madness as dark and scary, so we can keep it in a corner and ignore it”.
When Nowra adds humour to it, then we begin to be able to relate to it, they share similar emotions.
Nowra says: “Lewis has to face various hurdles throughout the play. He suffers from a lack of gumption at
first. His major hurdle is Henry. Lewis realises that he has got to get Henry to stay. Through rehearsing he is
falling in love with the patients. Every scene is a hurdle. Each time he learns to love the patients as
individuals. He goes on what is called a character arc. It is a ‘fish out of water story’. Lewis is thrust into
another world to transform him. Often, when someone doesn’t have a family or friends due to a
dysfunctional past (in Lewis’ case his relationship with Nick and Lucy is going downhill) he then makes the
patients his family, he finds a new sense of reality with them”.
Vietnam War is what Lewis believes in at first. But he will agree with anyone at the start, so long as it keeps
the peace. When Lewis enters the asylum it is like an island (thrust into another world). The patients don’t
even know there is a war going on. Lewis is transformed by his experience. How it works is that you stick
people on this island, and watch how they change. They are forced to face their demons because they
can’t get off the island.

18 | P a g e
CHARACTERS
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Your First Impressions

LEWIS

ROY

DOUG

HENRY

JULIE

CHERRY

ZAC

RUTH

19 | P a g e
LUCY

NICK

JUSTIN

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

BRIEF CHARACTER OUTLINES

Lewis Riley
Central character; fresh from university; not very confident; comes to the asylum to work with the patients. Lives with his girlfriend,
Lucy (and their friend Nick), but shares a kiss with Julie (a patient). Becomes more confident through the opera, rises to the challenge,
and eventually chooses the production over Lucy and a life of student politics.

Roy
Central character; patient in the asylum; driving force behind the production of Così Fan Tutte. Grew up in orphanages and with
foster parents, but has constructed a fictional childhood of joy and high culture. Swings wildly between moods of excitement and
depression. Roy is passionate but his blind and unrealistic dreams of greatness alienate him from the others

Doug
Brazen and confident; high-energy; constantly challenging others, either physically or by confronting them verbally or
emotionally. Has a history of pyromania and a disturbed relationship with his mother. Doug is resistant to participating in the
opera, but keen to be part of the group,if only to stir things up.

Henry
Once a lawyer; once married; now a long-term resident in institutions. Painfully shy, Henry has an almost debilitating stutter and a
paralysed arm (eventually revealed to be of psychological rather than physiological origin). He is preoccupied with military history and
memories of his parents. Physically strong; violent when he becomes angry; protective of Lewis, for whom he slowly develops a quiet
affection.

Julie
Short-term patient in the asylum due to drug dependency. Sees life in terms of drugs; loves the opera because it gets her out of the
oppressive ward and makes her feel alive – like drugs. She is attracted to Lewis (they kiss) but eventually confesses that she has a
girlfriend to whom she is returning when she leaves.

Cherry
Has been in institutions for some time; has aggressive, violent tendencies –especially when she feels her affections have been thwarted.
Preoccupied with food and with sex; jealous of Lewis and Julie’s relationship. She is the only patient who really stands up to Roy.

Zac
Musician; often heavily drugged and sometimes in and out of consciousness during rehearsals. Thinks Mozart’s music is boneless and
would rather be doing Wagner. Preoccupied with sex and tries to proposition Ruth.

Ruth
An obsessive woman who lacks confidence and has anxiety issues; has been in violent relationships. Ruth struggles to comprehend
differences between reality, illusion and pretending. Eventually stands up for herself
20 | P a g e
against Zac.

Lucy
Lives with Lewis, her boyfriend, and their friend Nick. She is a university student, a passionate protester against the Vietnam War, and
a fighter for social justice. Has an affair with Nick and breaks up with Lewis.
Nick
Lewis’ friend; lives with Lewis and Lucy. Passionate supporter of communists in Vietnam, and protester against the war. Also a
director of theatre he feels is socially worthy (like Brecht). Is insensitive towards the patients, treating them as clichéd ‘crazy’ people;
has an affair with Lucy.

Justin
Incidental character; social worker responsible for setting up the theatre project. Introduces Lewis to the patients, and gives Lewis
(and the audience) some simplistic pointers on how to handle the patients and
the situation.

CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS

Lewis
Lewis is constructed to represent the values that Nowra himself strongly sanctions; the play is,
after all, partially autobiographical. As the protagonist, Lewis’ point of view is privileged, and
audiences are invited to sympathise and identify with him. We respond warmly to his shyness and
insecurity, and his genuine interest in the patients is contrasted with Justin’s self-importance.
Although Lewis’ involvement in the opera is initiated by his need for money, and at first he reacts
‘uncomfortably’ to the situation (p.4), Lewis gradually develops a strong commitment to the
patients and their outlandish project and, even though he recognises that ‘it’s madness’, he ‘knows
he won’t leave’ (p.16). In this regard, he embodies a central theme of the play: loyalty. Yet, Lewis
is not always loyal. This connects him thematically with Mozart’s disloyal characters, and raises
questions about whether Lewis is a hypocrite when he self-righteously condemns Lucy for
betraying him even though he himself has ‘passionately’ kissed Julie (p.68). Despite this, his
loyalty to the patients is the real test of his character. He demonstrates this loyalty unequivocally
by not attending the moratorium because the patients ‘need’ him (p.69), and he refuses to ‘let
them down’ (p.70).Lewis’ gentle and respectful interactions with the patients reveal his humility
and compassion. His patience with Ruth exemplifies this. When she’s at her most neurotically
obsessive, Lewis reassures her: ‘That’s fine Ruth, I never doubted you ...’ (p.38). Lewis is also
able to see through the label of madness to the vulnerable human being underneath. When Roy is
paralysed by stage fright, Lewis convinces him that he won’t make a fool of himself, and affirms
the importance of being ‘noticed’ (p.75). This might be seen as a philosophical comment about the
need for recognition in our lives; it might also be interpreted as a condemnation of a society which
prefers not to ‘notice’ people like Roy and instead locks them discreetly away in institutions.
The relationship between Lewis and the patients changes him, allowing him to recognise the
importance of ‘love and fidelity’ (p.70). These are also the values that Nowra appears to consider
important in human relationships – where ‘love’ is not simply the kind of romantic sentiment
satirised in Mozart’s opera, but a deeper and more enduring bond based on trust, respect and
loyalty. These are key values in the play. The development of Lewis’ character, signalled by his
participation in the opera, highlights another thematic connection between Lewis and the patients:
the transformative power of art (in this case music and theatre) which does eventually bring them
all ‘right out of their shells’ (p.84).

Roy
Roy is the play’s antagonist (an opposing force for the main character), needing to compete with
and undermine Lewis in order to be the focus of attention. He is a classic manic depressive who
has been treated with electroconvulsive therapy. His re-enactment of ECT’s grotesque effects is a
grim example of black humour and it implicitly condemns such inhumane practices (pp.59–60).
Roy in his mania initiates the play-within-a-play but also disrupts it. He is dominating, controlling
and exasperating and, perhaps because of this, is able to convince a sceptical and unwilling cast
and director to take on Mozart. Roy seems to embody Nowra’s own ideas about the importance of

21 | P a g e
theatre, saying that without the opera, which here represents theatre in general, ‘the world
wouldn’t be the same. It would break, like a voice in despair shattering glass’ (p.13). Roy’s passion
and determination finally win the others over and they begin to find order, meaning and purpose in
the opera – and in their lives. There is, however, a desperate edge to Roy’s passion, born of a
need to fabricate an identity he finds acceptable: one with a childhood spent sitting on a veranda
listening to Mozart’s music, and a beautiful mother who sang him lullabies (p.64). Roy’s sad
reality, though, is a childhood spent in an orphanage and being ‘farmed out’ to a series of foster
parents (p.76). This has left Roy lonely, vulnerable and deeply insecure, and might be the source
of his stage fright – a terrible fear of exposure and rejection, with everyone ‘staring’ at him (p.75).
Roy’s elation after the opera’s success enables him to reconstruct a comforting fantasy world
where illusion and medication make his life endurable. It is worth considering whether this is a
philosophical comment from Nowra about human existence in a chaotic and ultimately
meaningless universe.

Doug
Doug is the major source of complication to the play’s narrative progression, as his pyromania
threatens to destroy the venue and close down the rehearsals. Of all of the characters, he is
perhaps the most classically ‘mad’, in the sense of being dangerous and uncontrollable.
Nevertheless, he is witty and perceptive and has a strong sense of irony. Doug is a cynic who
exposes pretensions and hypocrisy. His ironic response to Justin’s rhetorical question about
where the world might be without social workers is, perceptively, that it would be ‘in tip top
condition’ (p.7). He is also sharply accurate. His quietly perturbed question about Zac, ‘how much
lithium is the poor bugger on?’(p.11), is a clear condemnation of the harmful effects of intensive
drug therapy. Doug is also the source of most of the play’s crude sexual humour and, as a
representative of the traditional comic character – the ‘all-licensed fool’ – he is often able to state
explicitly what others cannot. His question about whether Lewis, as director, gets to ‘fuck the
actresses’ draws attention to power relationships that traditionally operate behind the scenes in
patriarchal societies (p.5). Doug’s symbolic connection with the motif of fire suggests both the
destructive and the illuminating power of his cynicism.

Justin
Justin is a comic stereotype whose self-importance, condescension and hypocrisy are ironically
amusing, but his more serious function is to highlight the problems of an institutional approach to
mental illness. Justin’s patronising comment that the patients are just ‘normal people who have
done extraordinary things’ (p.5) is firmly contradicted by the grim reality of institutional life: closed
wards and strong medications. Clearly, too, some inmates are dangerous, like Doug, or ill, like
Henry and Roy. The irony of his comment that there’ll be ‘no carving knife against the throat’ (p.5),
in the light of Cherry’s later flick-knife attack on Doug (p.34), highlights Justin’s ignorance
and ineptitude. Justin’s failure to recognise the contradictions inherent in his clichéd approach
to mental illness is both a comic incongruity and a criticism of his own profession. His nonsensical
definition of a ‘madman’ (the derogatory label revealing Justin’s real opinion of mental illness) as
‘someone who arrives at afancy-dress party dressed in the Emperor’s new clothes’, suggests
Nowra’slow opinion of social workers like Justin, who spend their days in meetings(p.7). Thus, the
darker side of Nowra’s comic play shows the plight of the mentally ill in the 1970s, caught between
the equally inappropriate extremes of frontal lobotomies and occupational therapy.

22 | P a g e
THEMES, IDEAS & VALUES
Loyalty (fidelity) and betrayal (infidelity)
Both the play and the opera explore ideas about loyalty. In Mozart’s opera, loyalty is defined as
‘constancy’ (or women’s sexual fidelity). The play-within - a- play makes connections between
Dorabella and Fiordiligi’s infidelity to their fiancés in Così Fan Tutte, and Lucy’s infidelity to Lewis
in Così. Through Lewis’ condemnation of Lucy, Nowra demonstrates that, although modern
society has become more sexually permissive, there are still eighteenth century double standards
operating which condone men’s infidelities but condemn women’s. It is clear that, in both the opera
and the play, the male characters are also unfaithful. Mozart’s gullible heroines are rather callously
deceived by the other characters, including their fiancés; however, the loyalty of the two men
(Guglielmo and Ferrando) who agree to the deception of their fiancées is not questioned. Yet, as
Henry says, Guglielmo and Ferrando‘ deserve’ to be betrayed by the women (p.66). In the play,
Lucy redefines fidelity (in line with modern views about morality) by arguing that she only has sex
with Nick, but she sleeps with Lewis (p.71).In contrast, Lewis defines fidelity as ‘not having sex’
with Julie (p.72), despite being attracted to her. He quotes a line from the opera which claims that
women’s constancy is ‘like the Arabian phoenix. Everyone swears it exists, but no one has seen it’
(p.71), thus revealing his hypocrisy and self-righteousness. It is Julie who articulates the play’s
message that women are ‘flesh and blood’ (p.33) just as men are, and she recognises that ‘men
want women to deceive them
because it’ll prove their worst
thoughts about women ’and allow
them to feel ‘righteous’ (p.33).
Lewis’ attitude towards Lucy
confirms the truth of Julie’s
observation. Like the opera, the
play raises questions about where
loyalty is owed and under what
circumstances. Henry, forexample,
defines betrayal as having improper
allegiances. He embodies the
values of many conservative
Australians in the 1970s, for whom
opposition to the Vietnam War
equated with support for
Communism, and a betrayal of
those who’d fought in previous wars
(p.47). Through Henry, Nowra
suggests that unwavering loyalty to
traditional values can blind people
to the need for social and political
change. Betrayal also relates to
broken promises, and Nick feels
betrayed when Lewis breaks his
promise to help organise the
moratorium (pp.40–1). Both Lucy
and Nick consider Lewis’
involvement in an opera about ‘love
and infidelity’ a betrayal of artistic
and political principles (p.41). As
Lucy puts it, theatre needs to be
‘meaningful and intelligent’ and not
simply an ‘emotional indulgence for
the privileged few’ (p.70). Lucy’s
23 | P a g e
failure to recognise the relevance of Così Fan Tutte reveals her incompatibility with Lewis.
Similarly, Lewis feels betrayed by Nick when he and Lucy break their promise to help Lewis with
the play (p.2). Nick further betrays Lewis’ trust by having sex with Lucy, and justifies this by
accusing Lewis of being ‘conservative’ and arguing that ‘women shouldn’t come between mates’
(p.77). Despite the complications arising from these divided loyalties and multiple betrayals, we
are strongly positioned to condemn Nick, who aptly embodies the theme of betrayal in the play
and whose self-centred values are clearly contrasted with Lewis’ more altruistic (unselfish) and
idealistic ones. Perhaps the clearest example of loyalty in the play is shown by Julie to her
girlfriend, who has stood by her ‘through thick and thin, mostly thin’ (p.87).Julie knows where her
loyalties belong. She tells Lewis about her her girlfriend: ‘without her I would be dead’ (p.87). This
reinforces the play’s ideas about the gravity of our moral and personal obligations.

Sanity (order) and insanity (chaos)

Nowra makes two key points about ‘insanity’. First, there is often an arbitrary line drawn between
sanity and insanity. Society sees particular kinds of ‘difference’ as threatening, and deals with its
fears by stigmatising (judgmentally labelling) the individual. Nowra creates characters who cross
the boundaries between the so-called binary opposition (contrasting pair of ideas or positions) of
sanity and insanity. He does this to highlight injustices and inconsistencies in the mental health
system. Lewis metaphorically crosses this line: significantly, he is mistaken by Justin for one of the
patients (p.2); he sides with the patients against Justin, agreeing that it was Cherry rather than
Doug who started the fire (p.23); he steps into Doug’s role in the opera (p.42); and he joins Roy in
imitating the effects of shock treatment (p.60).Just as Lewis symbolically ‘becomes’ one of the
patients, some of the ‘insane’ characters also blur the boundaries: despite her addiction Julie is
sane and rational, yet her parents are able to have her ‘committed’ (p.36); Ruth leaves the
institution to become ‘a time and motion expert’ (p.89), where herobsessive-compulsive
tendencies are an asset; and Zac’s eccentricity later helps him to become a successful musician
(p.89). Perhaps Zac echoes Mozart’s eccentricity here, although Mozart’s talent, unlike Zac’s, was
prodigious. Nowra’s second key point about insanity is that institutions cannot help people like Roy
and Henry who are suffering from severe mental illnesses; Roy’s mania continues unabated, and
despite a brief respite from his stuttering incoherence, Henry dies soon after Così. The play’s key
images – light and dark, fire and water – are significant in highlighting the play’s thematic
concerns. Light traditionally suggests hope and clarity and, significantly, the play’s opening stage
direction connects the arrival of Lewis with a suggestion of hope. ‘It is … pitch black inside the
theatre. A heavy door opens, a chink of daylight enters’ (p.1). Opposed to this is the chaos and
confusion that erupts when the lights go out (p.65). However, chaos is sometimes liberating, as
Julie and Lewis discover when they kiss ‘passionately’ in the darkness (p.68). And while light is
illuminating, too much light can be ‘blinding’, as shown in Zac’s overwhelming ‘vision’ –
culminating in his crazy idea to recreate a world removed from ‘real things’ (p.62). Zac’s delusion
of clarity parallels some of the misguided attempts by the medical profession to restore order to
society by creating a separate world for the mentally ill, and to bring greater harmony to their lives
with drastic and bizarre treatments. Through this imagery, Nowra shows that chaos can be both
frightening and liberating, and control can sometimes be repressive.
The apocalyptic biblical images of fire and water are also highly symbolic in the play. Fire imagery
dominates Act One, with the theatre nearly destroyed and the project almost abandoned. In using
this imagery, Nowra alerts us to the way that theatre itself can be considered destructive or
threatening (even anarchic) by confronting audiences and challenging society’s values; this is
precisely what Così aims to do. When Doug is removed, the fire imagery of Act One is replaced by
water imagery in Act Two, with the cleansing rain constantly dripping through a hole in the roof
(p.57). It soaks the posters (p.62), fuses the lights (p.65) and fills buckets (p.66). The water,
despite its excessiveness, is ultimately regenerative; it symbolises the capacity of theatre to create
a world ‘as far removed from this depressing asylum [of the everyday world] as possible’ (p.63),
where ‘harmony’ can exist and optimism possible … albeit fleetingly.

24 | P a g e
Illusion (art) and reality (life)
Ruth’s seemingly absurd need to clarify the difference between illusion and reality highlights the
difficulty of actually being able to prove which is which. The difference between real coffee and
imaginary coffee (p.10) is utterly unimportant to theatre audiences, who can accept theatrical
illusion as a temporary reality, unlike Ruth, who ‘can handle something being an illusion or
real but not at the same time’ (p.26). Ruth’s difficulty points to the larger metaphysical (to do with
abstract philosophical reasoning) issues raised by the play. For example, we can never be
absolutely sure that our perceptions coincide with ‘reality’. Thus, Ruth’s inane questions (pp.26–9)
highlight the unreliability of our own perceptions of the physical world, and raise larger questions
about how clear-cut the distinction between reality and illusion actually is. Theatre has always
created illusions and depended on the readiness of audiences to willingly suspend their disbelief,
accepting (for a while) appearance as reality. In Così, Nowra wants to prevent the audience from
doing this by creating characters in a play, acting as characters in an opera –thus drawing our
attention very explicitly to the idea of performance. This forces us to distance ourselves from the
‘people’ on stage and concentrate on the social and political issues embodied in the characters.
By blurring the boundary between reality and illusion, Nowra makes an important connection
between art and life. This connection is also made through the play’s setting: the ‘burnt out theatre’
(p.1). This setting serves as a metaphor for a real world torn apart by the chaos of war and implies
not only that theatre has a political role in the real world, but also that it’s potentially as powerful as
a moratorium in voicing an opposition to war. The merging of real and illusory worlds thus draws
strong parallels between art and life, and highlights the importance of art in our lives.

Symbols

Burnt-out theatre
The setting of a burnt-out theatre depicts the miserable environment the patients of mental
institutions are forced to live with. As they are ostracised by the community, a lack of care and
support is shown through the rejected and deteriorating theatre. The patients’ considerable
enthusiasm highlights their unfortunate circumstances, since even a chance to spend their time in
an old building performing a play causes much excitement.

Arabian Phoenix
The women in both Così Fan Tutte and Così are compared with the Arabian Phoenix. The
mythical creature is a representation of women, for it is beautiful and enchanting, capturing men
such as the god Apollo with its voice. This reflects the power of women to attract men.
Nevertheless, its rarity, as often commented in Cosi, is linked with the seemingly infrequent loyalty
demonstrated by women.

Lights
The lights in Act 1 Scene 1 highlight Lewis’ entrance into a new world, where he associates with
patients who will ultimately, help him in learning and self-development. At first Lewis possesses a
‘pitch black’ perspective of the world, along with Lucy and Nick. This is a representation of their
modern beliefs that circulate around politics and the war. When the lights are turned on, Roy is
present, demonstrating that the patients of the mental institutions are the source for Lewis’
changing perspective throughout the play.

25 | P a g e
Cosi and Inner Journeys: Focus on Lewis
The main character undergoing such a journey in Cosi is Lewis. The following table characterises some of
this journey and leads you to some key moments in the play which mark the journey:

Issue In what sense(s) is/are What growth and Examples of significant

characters undergoing development is there? uses of "language" that
an inner journey? reflect the development

Setting:  Symbolic of a range of  reflects the broader Ii: A burnt out theatre. It is
expectations that are to social and political day outside but pitch black
burnt -out be subverted during the setting of the play - inside the theatre
theatre play and perceptions a society "burnt out"
and beliefs that are to from the Vietnam
be changed - the
War. The world
situation begins by LEWIS: He looks around
seeming hopeless
inside the asylum is
the theatre
shown to have
some vitality. It's burnt.......

 creates our
expectation that
what Lewis is LEWIS: Is this where
undertaking is we're performing?
foolish and doomed
to failure - that he is
just as crazy as the
patients for
agreeing to do this.
This expectation is
subverted and his
and our perceptions
alter.

 suggests that the

people who will be
acting in Cosi Fan
Tutte are
themselves "burnt
out". This
expectation is also
subverted.

26 | P a g e
 Issue In what sense(s) is/are What growth and Examples of significant
characters undergoing development is there? uses of "language" that
an inner journey? reflect the development

Lewis Begins by espousing the

views of his peers and of
his times about:

 the sexual revolution

 His developing, less Ii- LEWIS: Love is not so
naive perspective on important nowadays.....
love and fidelity

IIii - LEWIS: Without love

how would people relate?

The theme of infidelity in

and ties up closely to Cosi Fan Tutte:

IIIii: I will compensate your

heart with love and fidelty
and will love you
forever.....

His hurt at Lucy's infidelity,

though he himself is
tempted by Julie

 the Vietnam war  his changing

pespective on the
war in Vietnam Ii- LEWIS: Do you think we
should be doing
something like this?...In
these days, you know, the
Vietnam war-.....

IIii- NICK: Why don't you

stand up to that right wing
nut and say 'Victory to the
Viet Cong'

LEWIS: Because all I want

are the Australians and
Americans out of Vietnam

27 | P a g e
 Issue In what sense(s) is/are What growth and Examples of significant
characters undergoing development is there? uses of "language" that
an inner journey? reflect the development

but comes to reject these and then leave the north

as the patients - Roy, Julie, and south to fight over
Cherry - develop his their own country and if
perspectives. the Viet Cong loses, so be
it...

NICK: You're becoming a

small l liberal

STRUCTURE, LANGUAGE & STYLE

Structure
Così is a two-act play which loosely follows a traditional narrative structure: exposition,
development, complication, climax, resolution. In Act One, a sense of impending crisis is driven by
the tensions between the characters, the impossibility of the task they’ve undertaken and the
incompetence of the director. In Act Two, tensions escalate and the crises become more dramatic,
while the patients’ needs to perform the opera become the play’s driving force. The performance
itself ends on a high note of hilarity and hope, although Lewis’ final address to Così’s audience
reminds us that theatre is about creating illusions and that real life is more problematic. The most
notable structural feature is the ‘play-within-a-play’, which highlights the parallels between the
characters and themes in Mozart’s opera, and those in Nowra’s play. Both opera and play revolve
around issues of loyalty, fidelity and betrayal. The backdrop of war is also a significant feature of
both texts:the Vietnam War in the 1970s (in Così) and the Albanian battle for independence from
the Ottoman Empire in 1790 (in Così Fan Tutte). Wars also involve loyalties and betrayals, and
their exemplification of chaos on a grand scale underscores the chaos in the lives of the
characters in the opera and the play.

Language
One of the play’s striking language features is the juxtaposition of the poetic language of ‘grand
opera’ with the plain-speaking and often sexually explicit language of Nowra’s characters. The
coarseness of phrases like ‘I need a fuck’ (p.79) and ‘she’s a good root’ (p.85) clearly recognises
the sexualimpulses beneath the elegant, poetic language of Mozart’s opera, thus thematically
linking the characters of the opera and the play. As Zac astutely observes, ‘you have to wrap it all
up in fancy language ... when it all comes down to … the same thing’ (p.79). Nowra has often
been criticised for not dealing with ‘home-grown’ issues. Yet Così includes many examples of
Australian vernacular, which clearly identify it as part of a uniquely Australian culture, with
expressions such as ‘grungy’ (p.5), ‘shacked up’ (p.6), ‘sheilas’ (p.6) and ‘drongo’ (p.8).
(Interestingly, Mozart could have been similarly criticised. An Austrian composer, he chose
Italian for his libretto because in 1790 it had more cultural credibility than German, his own native
language.) Nowra’s use of typically Australian language in his early 1990s play confidently
affirmed our cultural credibility at a time when the culture of Europe was more highly venerated.

28 | P a g e
Style
Comic drama
Traditionally in comic drama, characters are placed in opposition to each other in an amusing
conflict. In Così, the oppositions between ‘sane’ and ‘insane’ characters are the source of much of
the play’s ironic humour. However, Nowra invokes this opposition to blur the line between sanity
and insanity. Nowra has exploited some of the traditional elements of comedy, such as
incongruity: in this case the absurdity of staging an opera in a mental asylum or the utter
inappropriateness of Wagner played on a piano accordion. Nowra also mischievously overturns
audience expectations and assumptions about, for example, sanity and insanity. While this causes
amusement, there is a serious point to be grasped. Nowra’s seemingly stereotyped characters
initially fulfil audiences’ expectations about madness; however, the patients eventually emerge
more strongly as human beings than as ‘lunatics’.
Black humour
This style of comedy finds its humour in joking about sensitive subjects and dark elements in
human nature. In Così it is the patients themselves, with their amusing and often perceptive
comments about their mental illnesses, who are the source of much of the play’s black humour.
Similarly, sexual humour creates comedy by violating social conventions or taboos in comedic
ways. Doug’s frequent teasing of Cherry is an example.
Farce
As a play which involves stereotyped characters, physical humour, deliberate nonsense and the
entanglement of the protagonist (leading character) in complex and highly improbable situations,
Così contains the essential elements of farce. Lucy’s question, ‘are you sure this is not a French
farce?’(p.71), makes this explicit as she adds to the humour by deconstructing thegenre. Farce
provokes laughter through caricatures of people in improbable or silly situations (Wheeler 2009). It
is highly tolerant of immoral or criminal behaviour, and tends to depict human beings as vain,
irrational and childish. The action moves at a frantic pace toward the climax – a happy ending
where the initial problem is resolved. These farcical elements in Così are perhaps inevitable, given
the play’s setting and the challenges that the characters face. The ending, however, is not entirely
‘happy’ and there are unresolved tensions which linger uncomfortably. This ‘unresolved’ ending
more accurately reflects real life and helps to strengthen the points Nowra wants to make
about mental illness.

Now you understand the text Cosi

start your creative piece of
work….

29 | P a g e
 Monologue Preparation

30 | P a g e
31 | P a g e
32 | P a g e
33 | P a g e
 SHORT STORY
Short stories have a small, clearly defined focus and usually cover a particular moment in
time. Keep your canvas small-you will not have enough space to cover a number of scenes
or situations. Although it is contained, your story will need to show a narrative arc:
problem, obstacle or complication: climax and resolution.

■Visualise the scenario – be in the moment.

■Start with action or dialogue. Show, don’t tell!

■Reveal information gradually. Don’t give away too much too early.

■Engage your readers – make them wonder about something, such as a character’s past, or what
might happen. One way to make readers feel involved is to begin in the middle of the action. In
this way, questions such as ‘what is happening?’, and ‘how will it end?’ are raised immediately.

■You may use first-person or third-person narration –either can convey a single point of view. Or
you could try a split narrative, in which two different voices present two different versions of the
same story.

34 | P a g e
■Think about the best way to structure events. You could go chronologically or you might start at
the end of the story and tell in flashback.
■Experiment with tenses to find what works best. Writing in the present tense is more immediate
and excellent for generating suspense or drama. Writing in the past tense will give your material
more objectivity and a sense of completion.

Recap: Short stories:

-
- Should have a limited number of characters
- Should tell of one complication and one resolution
- Can be a stand-alone tale or could be a missing part from the original text.

Important: must work closely with the characters, settings and situations described in the text.
______________________________________________________________

Kurt Vonnegut had some tips of his own:

 Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
 Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
 Every sentence must do one of two things–reveal character or advance the action.
 Start as close to the end as possible.
 Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things
happen to them–in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
 Write to please just one person. (even if it is only yourself) If you open a window and make
love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
 Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with
suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where
and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few
pages.
__________________________________________________________________

35 | P a g e
 ALTERNATIVES FOR ‘SAYS’

accused acknowledged added addressed admitted retorted revealed roared sang gibed giggled

advised affirmed agreed announced answered screamed scoffed scolded shot groaned growled

apologized approved argued asked asserted shrieked shrilled sighed simpered gulped gurgled

assured avowed babbled badgered barked smiled smirked snapped snarled hollered howled

bawled beamed began begged bellowed snickered sniffed sniffled snorted imitated implied

bet bickered bleated blurted boasted spat speculated spluttered spoke interjected interrupted

boomed bragged breathed broke in bubbled sputtered squeaked squealed stammered jibed joked

chatted chattered cheered chided chimed in surmised taunted teased tempted moaned mocked

chirped chittered choked chortled chorused testified thanked theorized threatened mused muttered

chuckled claimed clarified clucked coaxed trilled urged uttered volunteered notified objected

commanded commented complained conceded concluded wailed warned went on wept ordered panted

concurred confessed confided confirmed congratulated whimpered whined whispered wondered pleaded pled

continued convinced cooed corrected coughed yawned yakked yelled sobbed prayed proclaimed

countered cried croaked crowed cursed sassed gloated greeted started provoked purred

dared decided declared demanded demurred shouted grunted grumbled suggested queried questioned

denied described disagreed disclosed divulged slurred gushed hinted tested quoted raged

doubted drawled dribbled echoed encouraged sneered huffed hummed told recalled reckoned

ended exasperated exclaimed explained exploded sneezed informed inquired vowed remarked remembered
36 | P a g e
 QUOTE ANALYSE WHAT THE QUOTE SUGGESTS ABOUT A
CHARACTER, THEME OR IDEA
“I like doing theatre, even though it’s my
first time… I like it because I’m doing
something… Getting out of my ward. God,
how I hate that ward.” Pg. 36
“Kiss him again and I’ll break your fuckin’
arm” pg. 68

“without love the world wouldn’t mean

much” pg. 70

“I have sex with him and sleep with you” pg.

71

“it’s not divine madness like some people

think, there’s no such thing as divine
madness, madness is just madness” pg. 61

“I can’t stand real things. If I could put up

with reality I wouldn’t be in here” pg. 62

“I’m not going to sing a song that is not word

perfect. You don’t want me to make a fool of
myself, do you?” pg. 13

“Cosi offers you a chance to do something

successful at least once in your dismal life.”
Pg. 27
“don’t blame me, blame my mother.” Pg. 23

“This theatre would have burnt like a real

beauty. My motto is to try and try again.” Pg.
85
“I had a dream Jerry… a world that was as
far removed from this depressing asylum as
possible.” Pg. 63
“I’m not going to let them down.” Pg. 70

“Go burn a cat.” Multiple pages

“they are normal people who have done

extraordinary things, thought extraordinary
thoughts.” Pg. 5
“time to turn out the lights.” Pg. 89

37 | P a g e
 How To Write A Short Story
1. SETTING/ORIENTATION/CHARACTERS
Set the scene. Introduce the key characters.

Beginning 2. PROBLEM
Introduce the problem the characters are facing

3. RISING ACTION
The characters work to overcome the problem they encounter.

4. CLIMAX
The story reaches a peak.
Middle

5. DENOUEMENT
The unknotting of the problem.

6. RESOLUTION
The final, concluding part of a narrative. Mysteries are solved and problems are
End resolved; or some can be left ‘up in the air’ so that the narrative ends on a note of
uncertainty.

REMEMBER:
 SHOW DON’T TELL
 USE THE 5 SENSES TO ADD DETAIL TO YOU WRITING
 PLAN TO USE LITERARY DEVICES TO HELP YOU SHOW AND NOT TELL/CREATE MEANING
38 | P a g e
 TEN TIPS FOR SHORT STORY WRITING
1. KEEP THE FOCUS.
One reason that short stories fail is the writer tries to cram too much into it. A short story is a separate form of writing,
not just a mini novel. Ideally you want a strong central theme or idea and the entire story should revolve around that.
Don’t go off on tangents or try to add subplots and other extra details, every word should bring you to the goal of the
piece.

2. SHOW DON’T TELL.

Describe how a character is feeling rather than telling the reader. Readers are smart and they want to be engaged.
You have to keep them engaged by making sure they have to use their mind to work out what is happening. Readers
should be using their intuition, just like they would if they met these characters in real life.

3. DON’T ADD TOO MANY CHARACTERS.

It can be difficult to get the reader to engage with a protagonist in a short space of time, adding more just means you
have to spread the effort across more bodies, and in a limited word count.

4. KEEP UP THE PACE.

A lull can stagger a novel; it can kill a short story. Don’t let up on the action, and make sure that every line brings new
excitement. A reader might only be looking at your story for a quick bite of entertainment, and if you start to drag
things out and slow the pace, the reader might get bored. However, not all stories can be action packed, and it’s fine
to have a build-up, but remember to keep the tension rising.

5. DON’T BE AFRAID TO REWRITE.

Is an idea not working? Is the P.O.V. wrong for your piece? Change it! Rewriting an entire short story may only take a
couple of hours. You might even choose to write a few different versions, telling the tale in different ways and deciding
after which one is best.

6. HOOK THE READER.

You don’t have time for the reader to build a deep investment in the piece so you want them hooked into the story
from the start. Open with a snappy sentence that draws the reader in, something that raises questions and makes
them want to know more.

7. DEVELOP THE NARRATIVE VOICE.

Creating the right tone for a short story will help to engage the reader. It can be a way of quickly establishing a
relationship with your protagonist and getting various details across without having to explain them in a limited word
count. In such a short space your story needs something special to have an impact on the reader, and a strong narrative
voice that pervades the story will give them something to remember.

8. ADD CONFLICT.
A useful idea in any piece of writing, introducing a conflict will create tension and help to draw the reader into the
story. Having a clear conflict and resolution in a short story can give it structure and a sense of completeness. But
remember that ‘resolution’ doesn’t necessarily mean end, I’ve seen many short stories make good use of a cyclical
theme.

9. MAKE GOOD USE OF DIALOGUE.

Well written dialogue moves the story forward much faster than paragraphs of explanation. It keeps the pace up, and
by layering the words with subtext you can get a lot of information across in just a couple of lines. Don’t just think
about what the characters say, but how they’re saying it too.

10. WORK HARD ON THE ENDING.

39 | P a g e
 SAMPLES OF INEFFECTIVE AND EFFECTIVE WRITING

TURNING POINT

NS I left because I didn’t like the place

L I left my country because people were getting murdered

(persecuted).
M When the gunmen approached my father because he was part of
the government I knew it was time to go.
H When the militiaman stormed my father’s office, his eyes glaring
and gun drawn, I knew I would never hear the ocean’s roar again.

SETTING
NS I sat in my home
NS In Albury I sat in my home.
L In Albury I sat in my home on a couch.
L In Albury I sat in my home on a couch and rubbed my feet over
the carpet
M In Albury I sat in my home on a leather couch and rubbed my
feet over the rug carpet
M/H In Albury I sat in my home on a cold leather couch and rubbed
my feet over the rug carpet
M/H On a day in Albury, I sat in my home on a cold leather couch
and rubbed my feet over the rug carpet
H On a cloudy day in Albury, I sat in my home on a cold leather
couch and rubbed my bare feet over the rug carpet.
H+ On shadowy day in Albury, I sat in my brick home on a cold
leather couch and rubbed my bare feet over and over the
plush rug carpet.

40 | P a g e
 Written Explanation Planner: Short Story
Explain your authorial choices and how they link to Cosi.

THE FORM
Explain the form that you have chosen to write in and
how you have adhered to (followed) this form.

I have chosen to do (form)… I will use (name device)…to…(explain purpose in piece)

THE LANGUAGE
Explain the type of language that you have used and how
it is suitable for the form that you have chosen to write
in.

I will use (name language type)…language to… (explain purpose and explain suitability to
audience)
THE AUDIENCE
Who is the target audience for this piece and how does
you piece address that audience?

The audience is (describe them)… I will address them by (explain how your piece appeals
to them) …

THE PURPOSE
What is the purpose of this piece?

This piece will (name its purpose/goal)… It will engage the reader to
(feel/think/etc)…about (ideas related to the prompt)…

THE CONTEXT
How have you explored the context (1970s Australia,
mental health in the 1970s, Vietnam War) and used
ideas from texts studied in class? What views/values
have you explored in this writing piece and what literary
devices did you select to do so?

41 | P a g e
 Top 10 Tips for a Tip Top
Oral Presentation
1. KNOW your stuff! Prepare and rehearse your talk so that you speak with confidence. Use notes if you
have to, but you should TALK not READ.

2. PURPOSE and AUDIENCE! This is key! What is the purpose of your talk? To inform, persuade,
entertain? What is your audience like? What will they know about your topic? Adapt your information
to suit both purpose and audience.

3. CLARITY! Don’t turn into a mumbling bumbling bee. Your presentation should be clear and logically
organised and so should your pronunciation. Your audience should know which part of your
presentation is the introduction, body and conclusion.

4. ICT! Don’t underestimate the power of ICT. You can engage the audience with a diagram, an outline
of your main points, relevant pictures, a PowerPoint presentation or video-clip. This may also help
you to keep track of where you are up to.

5. HOOK! The first thing you should do is hook your audience! Think outside the box – you may want to
use an anecdote – whatever you do you want to emote your audience in some way.

6. BANG! Go out with a bang! Your conclusion should be memorable. You want your audience to be
thinking about your topic or presentation well after you have finished.

7. CONFIDENCE! Be confident! Don’t: stand behind a table, put your hands in your pocket, hold your
speech with both hands, slump your shoulders, speak softly or do anything else that will make you
look like you have the confidence of a mouse. Confidence is engaging and you want your audience to
be engaged!

8. AUTOPILOT IS A NO-NO! Don’t go on autopilot and simply read from the paper. You want to respond
physically to the way that your audience is responding. Move around the room, use props, be
humorous (if appropriate) and make eye-contact. All of these things will make your audience pay
attention.

9. EVIDENCE. You need to use evidence to support what you are saying. Expert opinions and statistics
can be engaging and are a great way to support your argument.

10. GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT! There is a common misconception that if you go under the radar that you
will be out of the line of fire. However, people are much more likely to respond negatively to a poor
presentation than one where the speaker gives it all they have got. The facts are that people like to
be entertained and they respect speakers who will give it all they have.
42 | P a g e
 The following YouTube clips also provides some useful tips on how to
confidently deliver an oral presentation:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tShavGuo0_E

‘Be a More Confident Public Speaker’

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HuXKaCt89g

‘How To Tell a Great Story (5 Best Tips)’

43 | P a g e