Fosse: Plays Six (11 page)

Are here

FIRST VOICE

Go away

quite short pause

SECOND VOICE

And we

quite short pause

we are in them

quite short pause

they are us

laughter

and we are them

quite short pause

we shall never be gone

We will never go

We are always here

FIRST VOICE

questioningly

Always

SECOND VOICE

We are always here

Quite short pause

Because we are in them

FIRST VOICE

And we shall be in them

Quite short pause

Always be in them

We shall never go

SECOND VOICE

How can we ever go

FIRST VOICE

They come

They go away

SECOND VOICE

Come

Go away

SECOND VOICE

We are in them

We’ll never go away

FIRST VOICE

Can we never disappear

SECOND VOICE

We cannot disappear

FIRST VOICE

It cannot be like that

SECOND VOICE

It is like that

And it

quite short pause

comes

goes away

Laughter. Short pause

FIRST VOICE

They go away

SECOND VOICE

We are

quite short pause

the ocean

the sky

quite short pause

and the earth

FIRST VOICE

We are the world

Quite long pause

But is it too late

to return

to the ocean

and to the sky

SECOND VOICE

Yes

quite short pause

yes it’s too late

FIRST VOICE

We cannot return

to the ocean

and to

breaks off

SECOND VOICE

We’re here now

quite short pause

where it comes

goes away

FIRST VOICE

But I don’t want to be here

SECOND VOICE

continues

where it comes

goes away

FIRST VOICE

I long for the ocean

I want to return to the ocean

And to the sky

SECOND VOICE

But that’s not possible

You cannot return

to the ocean

because the ocean is no longer for us

And the sky is no longer

for us

Pause

But look

quite short pause

they

quite short pause

come

go away

Quite short pause

They live here

They live

Quite short pause

They come

They go away

Pause

OLD MAN

I’m just here

And everything that has ever been

is here

And everything’s gone

THE SHADOW

to The Old Woman

You must come now

Pause. The Shadow leaves and The Old Woman and The Young Woman and The Old Man and The Young Man follow

FIRST VOICE

But this is not where

I belong

Pause

SECOND VOICE

We are here

quite short pause

where it comes

goes away

We are here always

FIRST VOICE

And the ocean

is in our eyes

SECOND VOICE

And the sky is

in our eyes

FIRST VOICE

And we are the world

SECOND VOICE

We are the world

GIRL IN YELLOW RAINCOAT

Characters

LONELY MAN

FIRST WOMAN

FIRST MAN

SECOND WOMAN

SECOND MAN

LONELY WOMAN

Lights up

The Lonely Man enters, he glances around, hesitates, he stands and looks down, he looks up

LONELY MAN

I am not all that old

but it feels

as if I

have been here a long time

quite short pause

and the same thing that has happened before

happens again

quite short pause

and you have to be somewhere

quite short pause

and now I am here

quite short pause

and I may as well

be here

as anywhere else

quite short pause

because it is not possible

not to be anywhere

quite short pause

everyone has to be somewhere

It’s not possible

not to be anywhere

And so I’ve been here

He takes a few steps forwards

Everyone has to be somewhere

Short pause
.
He stands straight

And it’s good to be here

everything is as it should be

here

quite short pause

and of course I’ve been waiting for someone

I could say that I chose

to live alone

but that’s not true

I have never chosen it

that’s just how it has turned out

that’s just how it turned out

because it’s not good to be alone

He stands and stares straight ahead. Pause

I am alone

quite short pause

and alone is what I

will be

The First Woman enters, she hesitates, stops

FIRST WOMAN

Always here

Always am I here

And still I am

somewhere else

She turns

LONELY MAN

I am here

FIRST WOMAN

I am here

And I am

somewhere else

LONELY MAN

I’m here somehow

short pause

and I understand so little

and I don’t know

either

if I want to understand

FIRST WOMAN

I am here

And I’m not here

Quite short pause

And he is here

LONELY MAN

I am here

FIRST WOMAN

I’m alone

Quite short pause

I’m alone

even if he is here

quite short pause

and I’m so small

quite short pause

I’m a little girl

in a yellow raincoat

Quite short pause

And my hair hangs straight down

I’m big

I want to be big

I’m wearing

a yellow raincoat

I’m looking

at someone

quite short pause

is it my father

I’m looking at

quite short pause

is it my brother

Pause
.
The Lonely Man turns towards her

LONELY MAN

I

quite short pause

yes I wonder

yes

yes we have

been here a long time

haven’t we

I think we’ve been here a long time

yes

yes that’s what it feels like

quite short pause

but

quite short pause

but I don’t think we can say

yes

yes that we know each other

FIRST WOMAN

No

No we don’t

I don’t know you

LONELY MAN

No

quite short pause

no we don’t know

each other

FIRST WOMAN

We haven’t seen

each other before

or have we

LONELY MAN

I don’t think so

No I don’t think we’ve

seen each other before

FIRST WOMAN

No

No I don’t think we’ve seen each other

before now

Pause. The First Man enters, he hesitates, stands straight and looks down

LONELY MAN

No

quite short pause

no I don’t think so

FIRST WOMAN

I don’t think

so either

Short pause

LONELY MAN

No

No I think that’s right

FIRST WOMAN

looks at The First Man

But there you are

LONELY MAN

I’ve been here

for some time

FIRST WOMAN

to The First Man

I’m glad you came

LONELY MAN

I am here

and everyone has to be somewhere

no one can be

nowhere

FIRST WOMAN

to The First Man

Dear

my dear

friend

quite short pause

I’m glad you finally came

quite short pause

but say something

then

don’t just stand there

Please say something

Please come

Why don’t you want to come

FIRST MAN

looks at her

I’ll come

FIRST WOMAN

Well come then

The First Man goes and stands next to The First Woman. Pause

FIRST WOMAN

I am here

quite short pause

but it’s as if

I’m still

not here

FIRST MAN

Yes

quite short pause

I’m here now

quite short pause

but you

quite short pause

you

just left

FIRST WOMAN

Yes well I had to

FIRST MAN

You could’ve waited

quite short pause

and not left me

FIRST WOMAN

But I had to leave

FIRST MAN

I don’t like to be alone

FIRST WOMAN

No

FIRST MAN

I don’t like it

when you just leave

FIRST WOMAN

But

I had to leave

FIRST MAN

Yes

FIRST WOMAN

But now we’re together

now we’re at

our place

FIRST MAN

Yes

quite short pause

but

breaks off

FIRST WOMAN

What do you want to say

FIRST MAN

No nothing

Quite long pause. The Lonely Man turns to The First Man

LONELY MAN

to The First Man

Yes we are here

yes

quite short pause

and I suppose we have to

yes just be here

quite short pause

yes I mean

yes once we’re here

then we are here

yes

yes somehow

FIRST MAN

So you’ve been here a long time

LONELY MAN

Yes

yes quite long

Short pause

FIRST WOMAN

Yes

LONELY MAN

That’s how it is

quite short pause

yes

FIRST WOMAN

I suppose it is

LONELY MAN

Yes

FIRST WOMAN

Must be

Pause
.
The Lonely Man turns away. Long pause. The Second Woman and The Second Man enter

SECOND WOMAN

Good to be here

SECOND MAN

Yes

yes it is

Short pause. He stops, stands and looks down
.

Quite long pause

SECOND WOMAN

But why are you just standing there

SECOND MAN

looks at The Second Woman

I’m thinking about a girl I saw

today

she was standing there alone

in a yellow raincoat

her hair was hanging straight down

quite short pause

she was so small

and so big

and so totally worn out

quite short pause

and next to her stood a man

with grey work gloves

SECOND WOMAN

Was it her father

SECOND MAN

Perhaps it was her father

I don’t know

SECOND WOMAN

Or perhaps it was her brother

SECOND MAN

Yes

SECOND WOMAN

What was wrong with her

SECOND MAN

I don’t know

SECOND WOMAN

You can picture her

SECOND MAN

Yes

SECOND WOMAN

Why

SECOND MAN

It’s just an

quite short pause

an image

quite short pause

but it’s full

of something

SECOND WOMAN

Of something sad

SECOND MAN

Yes

SECOND WOMAN

It’s very sad

SECOND MAN

Yes

SECOND WOMAN

Why

SECOND MAN

I only know

that it’s sad

SECOND WOMAN