Fosse: Plays Six (6 page)

So that’s what you want

THE WOMAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes I regret

or

quite short pause

yes I regret it

I should not have gone

it was wrong of me

I shouldn’t have done it

THE MAN

And now you want to go back

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

THE MAN

But it’s not possible

THE WOMAN

Not possible

THE MAN

No it’s not possible

THE WOMAN

Why not

THE MAN

No

THE WOMAN

But can you not forgive

THE MAN

Yes

quite short pause

Yes I have no difficulties

forgiving

quite short pause

it’s just that

yes to see the other

like oneself

and to see that the other

THE WOMAN

interrupts

Yes

THE MAN

continues

yes is like oneself

yes that the other

quite short pause

Yes also has freedom

As their damned condition

THE WOMAN

Damned condition

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

What would a person be

without freedom

THE MAN

What would a person be

without death

THE WOMAN

What would a person be

without loneliness

THE MAN

Yes

Pause

THE WOMAN

A person without freedom

is

quite short pause

yes a stone

a tree

quite short pause

no that was badly put

quite short pause

but a person

without freedom

is not a person

THE MAN

Yes

Pause

Yes that is the condition of the soul

quite long pause

THE WOMAN

But I miss

stops

THE MAN

You miss

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

What do you miss

THE WOMAN

You

THE MAN

You miss me

quite short pause

but it was me

you couldn’t stand

that I was close

quite short pause

that I was there

yes like a tie

quite short pause

yes like a constraint

quite short pause

as if I was a room

that shut you in

THE WOMAN

No

quite short pause

no it wasn’t like that

THE MAN

You wanted to travel

meet others

get close to others

quite short pause

that was what you

called freedom

THE WOMAN

Yes

yes maybe

THE MAN

But if you got too close

quite short pause

yes what then

THE WOMAN

Did I come too close to you

THE MAN

How could I know

THE WOMAN

And the journey

THE MAN

continues

became the journey’s constraint

the journey’s tie

to travel

is the greatest constraint

of all

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

But

quite short pause

can’t I come back

to you

to the children

The Man shakes his head

But why not

THE MAN

Because you are free

THE WOMAN

But I don’t want to be free

THE MAN

But you are free

THE WOMAN

Aren’t you

THE MAN

No

Long pause. Footsteps are heard. The Second Woman comes in

THE MAN

To the Second Woman

Yes

Yes you must say hello to

Yes my first wife

The Woman and The Second Woman go over and take each other’s hands
.

I don’t suppose you’ve met each other before

THE WOMAN

No

THE SECOND WOMAN

No never

Pause

THE WOMAN

To The Second Woman

Yes I just wanted

Yes to pop in

I

quite short pause

say hello

yes

THE SECOND WOMAN

Yes

Pause

You’re in old parts

yes

THE WOMAN

Yes

laughs briefly

yes you might say so

Pause

THE SECOND WOMAN

Yes

Pause

THE WOMAN

to The Man

Yes it was nice

talking to you again

THE MAN

Yes

yes it was

THE WOMAN

But I suppose I’d better go

Pause

THE SECOND WOMAN

Nice to meet you

Pause. The Woman goes. Long pause

What did she want

THE MAN

Just to say hello

THE SECOND WOMAN

She just came

THE MAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes there was a ring at the door

and there she stood

she just stood there

THE SECOND WOMAN

Yes

Short pause

And she didn’t want

yes anything in particular

THE MAN

No

Pause

THE SECOND WOMAN

Sure

THE MAN

Yes

Long pause. Lights down. Black

OVER THERE

Characters

THE MAN

THE WOMAN

Lights up slowly

THE MAN

stands and looks at something in the far distance

Do you see

short pause

but look

look over there

pause

don’t you see anything

pause

is there nothing to see

there

over there

don’t you see

answer me

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

There

over there

THE WOMAN

No I don’t really see anything

quite short pause

not anything unusual

quite short pause

I see

quite short pause

I only see what’s always been there

quite short pause

I see

quite short pause

I see the ridge

quite short pause

and behind the ridge I see the mountain

quite short pause

and beyond the mountain

yes there I see the sky

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

continues

and I see that the sky

yes it’s like before

yes like it usually is

quite short pause

not blue

but grey and grey

yes

yes that’s what I see

and

then

quite short pause

yes

THE MAN

You don’t see anything else

THE WOMAN

No

short pause

well

quite short pause

well I see

quite short pause

I see

yes

yes over there on the ridge

yes there’s the farmhouse

quite short pause

yes that has always been there

and the old hay barn

oh yes that’s there too

THE MAN

Nothing else

THE WOMAN

Well what do you mean

THE MAN

No

Pause. The Man turns and looks at The Woman

THE WOMAN

No it was nothing

THE MAN

No maybe not

THE WOMAN

Just something you thought

Pause

But did you see something

THE MAN

No it was probably nothing

THE WOMAN

But did you see something

THE MAN

Nothing worth mentioning

THE WOMAN

But what was it

THE MAN

Just forget it

Pause

THE WOMAN

So you saw something

THE MAN

Yes

Pause

THE WOMAN

But you don’t want to say what it was

THE MAN

It’s nothing worth mentioning

THE WOMAN

Not if I didn’t see it

THE MAN

No

THE WOMAN

Because then it was only you who saw it

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

And then it doesn’t exist

THE MAN

Yes I suppose

Pause

THE WOMAN

Shall we move on

THE MAN

Yes

The Man remains where he is. Pause

THE WOMAN

Don’t you want to walk any further

THE MAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes of course

short pause

THE WOMAN

But you don’t have to

quite short pause

if you don’t want to

we don’t have to walk any further

quite short pause

it’s quite alright

yes

of course

quite short pause

it has been a nice walk

yes so far

Short pause

THE MAN

Yes

of course we’ll walk further

Short pause

THE WOMAN

But we don’t have to walk to the very top of the mountain

quite short pause

not if you don’t want to

THE MAN

I said I wanted to

THE WOMAN

Yes

Short pause

But still

THE MAN

Let’s go

THE WOMAN

If you want to

quite short pause

yes let’s go then

THE MAN

I want to

He remains where he is. Long pause

THE WOMAN

But

yes

quite short pause

yes what did you see

THE MAN

Don’t ask about it

THE WOMAN

Sorry

Short pause

It’s just

since I didn’t see it

quite short pause

yes

yes I mean

THE MAN

I’m sure it was nothing

THE WOMAN

Just something you imagined

THE MAN

I’m sure

THE WOMAN

Maybe

quite short pause

in any case I didn’t see anything

Pause

THE MAN

Let’s sit down for a moment

THE WOMAN

Yes why not

The Man and The Woman sit down

Are you tired

THE MAN

No

THE WOMAN

But it’s nice to rest the legs

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

We’ve been walking for some time

THE MAN

Not for that long

THE WOMAN

No

quite short pause

no but for quite a bit

THE MAN

Yes

Long pause. The Man turns around and looks and then he stands up, again he stands and looks. Pause

THE WOMAN

Do you see anything

Pause

You want something to eat

quite short pause

something to drink

perhaps

Pause

The weather’s not too bad

quite short pause

at least it’s not raining

quite short pause

it’s not so nice to go for a walk then

not when the sun’s burning

either

short pause

this is good weather for walking

short pause

it couldn’t have been much better

quite short pause

no

quite short pause

and wasn’t it good that we finally got to take

this walk

quite short pause

we’ve been talking about it for so long

quite short pause

yes about walking up to that mountain

quite short pause

I don’t even know what it’s called

and

quite short pause

you don’t either I suppose

short pause

no

no I don’t suppose you do