Cosi

Arts Theatre celebrates its 75^thanniversary this year (Cosi season embraces its date of establishment, April 8^th.)  What a joyous way to celebrate the occasion!

The story is autobiographical: Recently graduated, Lewis is appointed Social Worker to a mental institution where, according to the 1970’s new psychology, theatre skills would benefit inmates’ confidence and self-image. The administrator persuades him to stage a show. Full of youthful idealism and learning but minimal theatre training, Lewis is no match for the cast of mental patients that control-freak Roy has dragooned for this show.

Roy is fanatical about the Divine Magic of Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte. He is determined they will perform it, but none of the cast can sing and none speaks Italian. His boisterous intransigence sweeps Lewis along helplessly; he ends up playing one of the male leads when foul-mouthed pyromaniac Doug (Damien Campagnola) has to be locked away again for his and the cast’s safety.

The outcome is divine parody and riotous entertainment for the audience!

Director Susan O’Toole cast the play thoughtfully and directed it with care and sympathy for the characters; her other creatives supported her effectively.

Glen Male’s Roy grabs audience attention and refuses to relinquish it. John Russell’s gaunt Lewis is the lovable fall guy (right from the start Roy establishes that he will be Jerry Lewis to Roy’s Dean Martin).

Izabella Wasilewska gives us a Cherry who oscillates between flick-knife wielding harridan and mother bird, unable to express her affection for Lewis except through regular force-feeding.

Kathy Kunde’s startled Ruth obsessed by minutiae is a gem, as is the drug-fazed Zac muso (John Roberts).

Poor old conservative ex-lawyer Henry (Alex Lanham), shell-shocked by life, is the only character who benefits from the crazy psychology, while almost-normal Julie (Melissa Gardner) ─ whose family put her away because she had an illegitimate baby ─ fails the theory.

Of the three normal characters who reflect 70s attitudes to life, love and the Vietnam war, Vanja Matula played the two males convincingly and the director covered for Katie Dowling (Lucy) who was indisposed.

Jay McKee