Fosse: Plays Six (19 page)

THE SHIPMASTER

So why do you say it

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Because I don’t know what to say

THE SHIPMASTER

It’s not like that or like that

THE GUITAR PLAYER

No

Pause

THE MAN

I love you

Short pause

THE WOMAN

And I love you

THE MAN

I was always so alone

quite short pause

and then I met you

THE WOMAN

Yes

Short pause

THE SHIPMASTER

It’s like the sea

THE GUITAR PLAYER

But

quite short pause

well

yes

yes like the sea is to you

quite short pause

yes that’s what the guitar music is to me

quite short pause

it’s just something that is

quite short pause

it is what is

in what there is

that’s what

yes that’s what the guitar music is like

quite short pause

and everything else

people

events

becomes what it is

yes because the guitar music

makes it like that

THE SHIPMASTER

So that’s how it is

Pause

THE MAN

But now we’ve met each other

THE WOMAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes now we’ve met each other

Short pause

THE MAN

And it took such a long time

before I met you

THE WOMAN

Always alone

I was always alone

Pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I am the guitar player

quite short pause

and now I shall play

The Guitar Player begins to play air guitar. Pause

I play my guitar music

quite short pause

I play my guitar music

for anyone who wants to listen

do I play my guitar music

quite short pause

my whole life I’ve played

my guitar music

from when I was a kid

and to this day

Short pause

THE MAN

You my best friend

you my very best friend

THE WOMAN

And you are my very best friend

Short pause

THE MAN

You’re here

and I still

miss you

THE WOMAN

I’m here

quite short pause

I’m always here

Short pause

But listen

quite short pause

listen to the beautiful

guitar music

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

But where are the others

It’s not just you and me who are here

Is it

Short pause

there are so many others on board

this ship

Short pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I am the guitar player

THE SHIPMASTER

But there’s no one here

no one who’s listening

THE GUITAR PLAYER

We’re not alone

we can’t be alone

Short pause

THE OLDER MAN

I’m here

Short pause

THE SHIPMASTER

But no one’s here

no one’s listening

Short pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

I’m here

Quite short pause

THE SHIPMASTER

No one’s listening

Short pause

It’s just you and me here

quite short pause

here on this ship

THE WOMAN

I’m here

I’m listening

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

No one is here

Short pause

And what’s become of the others

quite short pause

they have to be there

And we’ve been here for so long

that’s what it feels like

We’ve been here for so long

here on this ship

Short pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I play my guitar music

and it’s everything

that is

quite short pause

a guitar music

my guitar music

quite short pause

I play my guitar music

THE SHIPMASTER

No one’s here

No one’s listening

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I am the guitar player

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

I am the shipmaster

Short pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

No one’s here

THE SHIPMASTER

Is no one here

Short pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

No one’s here

Short pause

THE WOMAN

I’m here

Pause

THE MAN

Finally

finally I’ve found you

Pause

THE WOMAN

I hear the most beautiful guitar music

Pause

THE MAN

Finally I found you

THE WOMAN

But don’t talk

you must listen

you must listen to the beautiful guitar music

Short pause

THE MAN

Yes

short pause

but

but aren’t you happy

quite short pause

THE WOMAN

Yes

Yes I’m happy

THE MAN

And now we don’t need to be alone anymore

not you

not I

THE WOMAN

No

quite short pause

but listen

quite short pause

listen to the beautiful guitar music

Short pause

THE MAN

Yes

Short pause

THE WOMAN

You must listen

The Woman begins to move to the guitar music. Pause

THE OLDER MAN

And then we were here

Short pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

But where are we

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

yes where are we

THE OLDER WOMAN

I’m so scared

quite short pause

why don’t you come over here

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

The Older Man walks over to The Older Woman

THE OLDER WOMAN

I don’t know where we are

Pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I am the guitar player

quite short pause

I play the most beautiful

guitar music

quite short pause

I play the most beautiful

guitar music

that I am able to play

Short pause

THE WOMAN

But listen

THE MAN

I’ll listen

THE WOMAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes listen to the beautiful guitar music

THE MAN

I’ll listen

THE WOMAN

He plays so well

THE MAN

Does he play well

THE WOMAN

Yes

yes it’s the loveliest guitar music

I’ve ever heard

Pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

I’m so scared

THE OLDER MAN

You mustn’t be scared

Short pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

But I am scared

THE OLDER MAN

Come

come let’s go

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

I am the shipmaster

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I am the guitar player

I play the most beautiful guitar music

Pause

THE WOMAN

You must listen

THE MAN

I’m listening

Short pause

THE WOMAN

Listen to the most beautiful guitar music

The Woman moves away from The Man towards
The Guitar Player. Pause

THE MAN

But you mustn’t leave me

Don’t go

Short pause

Can’t you wait for me

Don’t go

Short pause

You mustn’t leave me

Pause. The Woman moves closer to The Guitar Player

You can’t leave me

quite short pause

I was so happy to see you

happy that you came

that you’re here

that I finally

got to meet you

Quite short pause

THE WOMAN

It’s the most beautiful guitar music

Quite short pause

THE MAN

You mustn’t go

quite short pause

because finally

finally

I met you

THE WOMAN

You must listen

THE MAN

I don’t want to listen

to the guitar music

quite short pause

I want to be

in you

quite short pause

I want to be

in all that’s yours

THE WOMAN

Listen

quite short pause

listen to the guitar music

THE MAN

I want to listen to you

quite short pause

for you

for you

are so lovely

quite short pause

you’re the loveliest guitar music

Quite short pause

You mustn’t go

THE WOMAN

Don’t talk

Listen

Listen to the guitar music

THE MAN

I can’t listen

to that

THE WOMAN

But it’s so beautiful

The Woman stands next to The Guitar Player, she still moves to the guitar music, looks at him

You play so beautifully

you play the most beautiful guitar music

Quite short pause

You play the most beautiful guitar music

I have ever heard

Long pause

THE SHIPMASTER

loudly

No

The Guitar Player stops playing air guitar and The Woman stops moving

No

Short pause

No

Short pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

questioningly

No

Short pause

THE MAN

You mustn’t go

I’m so happy

that I met you

THE GUITAR PLAYER

But imagine you being here

THE WOMAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes I don’t quite understand it

myself

but well

looks around a little

yes

yes well here I am

THE GUITAR PLAYER

So here we are

both you and I

THE SHIPMASTER

You know each other

THE GUITAR PLAYER

We seem to

THE WOMAN

We know each other

a little at least

at least we knew each other

yes a little

yes a long time ago

Short pause

But you

yes you know each other

you and he

quite short pause

yes he

THE GUITAR PLAYER

No

THE SHIPMASTER

No we don’t

Short pause

THE WOMAN

But why are you here

yes together

yes if you don’t know each other

THE SHIPMASTER

You may well ask

THE GUITAR PLAYER

You may well wonder

THE WOMAN

You must know

THE SHIPMASTER

Yes we must

but we don’t

THE GUITAR PLAYER

No we don’t know

THE SHIPMASTER

We are just here

THE GUITAR PLAYER

We just are here

THE SHIPMASTER

It just happened

THE GUITAR PLAYER

We just were here

THE SHIPMASTER

We just are here

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Yes

THE SHIPMASTER

And now you are here too

THE GUITAR PLAYER

You came here just now

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE SHIPMASTER

And it’s so good to see you

The Shipmaster wants to touch The Woman, but she slips away and goes and takes The Guitar Player’s arm

Aren’t you happy to see me

THE WOMAN

Why should I be

THE SHIPMASTER

No

quite short pause

no it’s just

quite short pause

just that I was so happy to see you

THE WOMAN

But you haven’t seen me before

THE SHIPMASTER

No

no but still

quite short pause

still I was