Changes in Lewis – story arc.
Below are a few basic notes about the changes which occurred in Lewis throughout the play. There is much more to be said! In preparing for your exam you should add to these ideas.
Rehearsal 1 sc 1 “my first year out”
Lewis
- not in control.
- Unsure of himself
- Afraid of the inmates
- Unsure how to handle the in patients
- Taken aback by Roy’s enthusiasm
Rehearsal 1 sc 2 “What I mean is Roy, no one can sing opera”
“You’re just like the best directors, a glutton for work”
Lewis
- Has difficulty coping with Roy’s enthusiasm
- Wants to keep separate from the rest of the cast
- Still maintains a connection with his friends and the outside world (Nick on radio)
- Begins to realise that the patients do not fit his preconceived ideas “You followed the events of ‘68”
- Doesn’t know how to deal with Doug’s pyromania, allows cast to lie to Justin about cause of the fire
Rehearsal 1 sc 3
Lewis
- Gives in to Zac’s demand to play the piano accordion
- Is prepared to over-ride Roy for first time
- Has to cope with Ruth’s obsessive need for direction
- Rapport with Julie begins to develop
- Audience see that Lewis doesn’t really fit in with Lucy & Nick; different interests, different passions, different personalities
- No longer afraid of the patients, prepared to work with their idiosyncrasies – Ruth’s steps, Roy’s tantrums, defends Henry from Roy
- Growing interest in Julie
- Learn more about Lewis – Grandmother; doesn’t consider self a ‘radical’ – replaces the word marriage with ‘commitment’
- Lack of control symbolised by Doug burning the building
Rehearsal 1 sc 4
- Lewis – still dominated by Roy — joins the cast – symbolic of his growing empathy with the patients
- L makes choice for Cosi against the Moratorium
- Nick models the role of the director but offends Henry
- Lewis stops Henry leaving “You’ll have to hit me to get out”
Rehearsal 2 sc
- Development of relationship between Lewis & Julie – kiss in dark cs talk of commitment with Lucy
Rehearsal 2 sc 2
- Lewis’s loyalty has shifted from Nick & Lucy to the inmates – chooses Cosi
- Lewis’s changed perspective ‘It’s about important things like love and fidelity’ (cs Lucy) as though he is thinking for himself for the first time
- Lewis & Julie à represent his moving on from Lucy but also = hypocrisy
Pre-performance 2 sc 3
- Lewis as director: able to win Roy back
- Has the loyalty of his cast
- Stands up to Nick , but Nick has the power to hurt
Performance 2 sc 4
- Page 84 Lines from the play sum up how Lewis is feeling and predicts his life
Post-performance 2 sc 5
- Kissing Cherry à knows her well enough to know this will shut her up; is a reaction to the realisation that Julie has a girlfriend; is a symbol that there is life to come beyond the institution and beyond his relationship with Lucy
- Deals with Roy’s ego with a sense of wry humour
To prepare for the exam, have a look at the other characters in a similar manner.
Cosi essay questions … more to come
- Whilst Lewis may be the main protagonist, Roy is undoubtedly the star
- Although the subject matter is bleak, it is the humour of this play which engages the audience
- Cosi shows the desire for art flourishes in the most unlikely places. Discuss
- The characters in Cosi are all products of the times in which they lived. Do you agree?
- The inhabitants of the institution are all normal in their own way. Do you agree?
- The people who are not in the institution are madder than the inmates. Discuss
- Lewis says “Love is not so important these days” Does Cosi support this view?
- Exploring love and relationships through theatre is just as important as delivering political messages about society. Discuss with reference to Cosi.
- Personal relationships are more important than politics. Discuss with reference to Cosi
- Lewis needs his brush with madness to understand his own views and values. Do you agree?
- Madness is in the eye of the beholder. Is this Louis Nowra’s view in Cosi?
- The audience has more sympathy with the participants in Cosi than those who reject this form of theatre.
- Music and art enrich everyone. Discuss with reference to Cosi
- Was Lewis right when he said that the play was more important than the moratorium?
- Lewis is as much a product of his environment as Nick, Lucy or any of the in-mates. Discuss
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