Cosi

In our lives we use language to explore our relationship with other people. Like any good play write, Nowra engages the audience in the world of the characters through stage direction, line delivery and tone. In the play ‘Cosi’, Nowra has used his characters as vehicles to help the audience grasp an understanding of the main issues dealt with having a mental illness. Lewis has been employed as the director of the play “Cosi Fan Tutti”, directing the mental patients into their parts. Nowra introduces Lewis right from the start in Act one, scene one. He comes across as very un-comfortable, shy and unsure as to the role he is undertaking. We see this through his interactions with the other characters. “This is an unusual position for me…I directed some plays at university... and, well… this is my first year out”. As Lewis is trying to fit in we see the characteristics of Roy come out as he is including Lewis, talking to him on a close friendship level, even though they have just met. Nowra’s use of colloquial language is seen when Roy is speaking and acting to Lewis as if a friendship has been made, giving Lewis the nickname Jerry, because he reminds him of Jerry Lewis… “Shall we start now, Jerry'” Here Nowra engages the audience into the new friendship formed by Roy and Lewis. He invites the audience into the world of the characters, to think how hard it must be for Lewis to take on such a task.