Rootless Cosmopolitans (excerpt)

Synopsis

A Dangerous comedy about not going quietly.

In six short years, esteemed Artistic Director Ira Brot has transformed a small, struggling theatre company into an international sensation. He has the world at his feet; money, influence and creative freedom. Yet one little tweet brings his world tumbling down.

In the midst of this turmoil, he must deal with a complex relationship with his mother, Freda – a second-generation Holocaust survivor who, though she has passed on, is alive and well inside his head.

Add to this a much younger wife, Glenda – born Christian, converted to Judaism, never truly accepted by his mother in life or in death and more or less forced to bend her life to Ira’s career – an antagonistic, vaguely anti-Semitic chairperson of the board, Viola, and her young appointee as Ira’s Assistant Director, Georgia, and you have all the ingredients for one of the oldest of all culture wars, played out on a modern stage.

“Rootless Cosmopolitans” is a timely black comedy from prolific Australian playwright Ron Elisha. This thought-provoking and challenging new play explores the polarising power of social media, antisemitism, and the minefield of identity politics.

Character Information

The play is a 4-hander: 3 females, 1 male
GEORGIA HUANG 22 – 25 (Chinese)
GLENDA BROT ] (one actor) 36 – 39
VIOLA LANSBURY ] 42 – 45
FREDA BROT 77
IRA BROT 47 – 50

Production History

Produced at Chapel Off Chapel in Melbourne, Australia – May/June 2024, by A Monstrous Enterprise.

Running-time:  85 minutes.

Reviews:

• Anti-Defamation Commission of Australia
  .. comes explosively alive.. fierce and confrontational.. collisional and disturbing.. a dazzling and winning show that cuts like a knife.. incisive and startling insights.. the script will hit you like a hammer.. will remain seared into your consciousness long after the curtain falls.. unmissable and unforgettable.

• Theatre Matters

  *****

  .. Hats off to Ron Elisha.. Rootless Cosmopolitans certainly ticks all the right boxes.
• Australian Jewish News

  .. clever and thought-provoking.. plenty of humour.. needs to be seen by Jews and non-Jews alike.
• Melbourne Observer

  .. wit and comedy.. has the audience questioning.. We need more plays like this.
• Australian Arts Review

  .. intelligent and engaging.. peppered with one line zingers, the repartee comes thick and fast.. cleverly dark.. issues raised here are serious, simmering just below the surface..
• The Blurb

  Elisha’s thought-provoking work could not be more relevant or timely.. no shortage of humour – the quick quips are plentiful.. a distressing insight into the here and now.

• What’s The Show

  *****

  .. challenging.. laughs aplenty.. razor-sharp script.
• Man In Chair

  .. provocative punch.. wickedly funny one-liners.. briskly entertaining.. well-argued, thought-provoking.. an absolute delight.. a terrific example of the power and quality of independent theatre.
• Excerpt available for download for free.