SYNOPSIS:
Nowra’s vibrant play is set inside a psychiatric 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. He becomes emotionally involved with his patients-cum-actors as his operatic production lurches forward and anti-Vietnam protests rage outside.

First produced in 1992, COSI has become one of the most successful Australian plays produced in the last two decades. A terrific, funny play about madness, illusion, sanity… and theatre.

DIRECTOR’S COMMENTS:
This is a classic play, and deserves to be revived. It is one of the great ensemble pieces of Australian theatre. It is very funny, while having moving moments. It offers wonderful opportunities for a cast to play characters with often tragic backgrounds and mental illnesses, and then spread their comic wings to create a truly funny and absurd play within a play.

ROLES AVAILABLE

7 Male characters who can be played by 5 actors

4 Female characters, could be played by 3 actors

Ages listed are stage ages

Lewis – male 21 in the play, has just left university

Lucy – female early 20s, is doing and MA thesis and lives with Lewis (actor may double this with Julie)

Nick – male early 20s, also doing a thesis and directs student productions (actor may double this with Justin and Zac)

Justin – male 35 to 45, a social worker. He is neat and precise

Roy – male 40 to 50, a mental patient who has spent most of his life in institutions

Doug – male 20 to 30, has a liking of fires,  but has not been in institutions very long

Henry – male 40 to 55, a former lawyer who is now a patient. Like Roy, he has spent most of his adult life in institutions

Cherry – female 25 to 35, has been in institutions for some time

Julie – female early 20s, is in a mental institution for the first time because of drug dependency.

Ruth – female 30 to 40, and obsessive personality, who is in and out of mental institutions

Zac – male 25 to 35, the musician of the group who has been in and out of institutions

Special casting considerations: Some singing, but at strictly amateur level.  An advantage if Zac can play the piano accordion, guitar or piano.

REHEARSALS:
Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7.00pm.  Some Sundays TBA at 2pm. To be held the Stirling Community Theatre with some at a nearby venue.
Rehearsals begin in early December 2020. Following a short break over the Christmas period they will resume in early January 2021.

PERFORMANCES
Fridays & Saturdays: 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 March 2021 at 8pm
Sundays: 14 & 21 March 2021 at 4pm

VENUE:
Stirling Community Theatre, Avenue Road, Stirling

AUDITIONS
Tuesday 10 November 2020 & Thursday 12 November 2020 from 7pm.

Groups in one hour slots on both dates: 7pm, 8pm, 9pm

BOOKING AN AUDITION

Please email contactstirlingplayers@gmail.com to book an audition time, indicating date and time slot preferred. 

AUDITION VENUE
Stirling Community Theatre

MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Megan Dansie. Ph 0413800221 (after 6:30pm) or email aislinn@internode.on.net