Fosse: Plays Six (20 page)

yes happy to see you

THE WOMAN

It is

quite short pause

yes good of you

yes that

yes that you were happy to see me

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Yes

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

But you liked

yes that guitar music of his

THE WOMAN

overcome

Yes

THE SHIPMASTER

No

quite short pause

no you didn’t

THE WOMAN

Yes I did

THE SHIPMASTER

You couldn’t have liked it

It’s impossible to like

that kind of guitar music

THE WOMAN

But I liked his guitar music

I did

so

yes

yes then it is possible

THE GUITAR PLAYER

You hear

She liked my guitar music

It’s only you who can never like

my guitar music

THE SHIPMASTER

You don’t mean it

yes that you liked his guitar music

it’s just something you say

yes

yes to be nice to him

to please him

THE GUITAR PLAYER

She says she liked my guitar music

because she liked it

THE SHIPMASTER

How can you know it’s like that

What I say is just as true

THE GUITAR PLAYER

No

no she says it herself

that she liked my guitar music

THE SHIPMASTER

But it could just be

something she says

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Yes of course

THE SHIPMASTER

And then

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Yes

THE SHIPMASTER

Yes then she didn’t like it

THE WOMAN

goes and stands between the two of them

I liked his guitar music

Pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

You hear

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

to The Woman

I am the shipmaster

THE WOMAN

You are the shipmaster

THE SHIPMASTER

I sail ships on the seven seas

THE GUITAR PLAYER

And I am the guitar player

Pause

THE WOMAN

But where are we

THE SHIPMASTER

You may well ask

Short pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

We are where we are

THE WOMAN

But where is that

Short pause

And is there no one else here

Short pause

THE SHIPMASTER

Yes

yes there are many people here

everyone

someone

I’m here

you’re here

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I’m here

Short pause

THE WOMAN

But no one else

There has to be someone else here

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

Yes

Pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

I’m here

Short pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

We are the only ones here

THE OLDER MAN

I’m here

THE SHIPMASTER

We’re on a ship

so there are many others here

THE WOMAN

questioningly

We’re on a ship

THE SHIPMASTER

Yes

THE WOMAN

We’re on the sea

THE SHIPMASTER

Yes

Short pause

And I am the shipmaster

THE WOMAN

questioningly

You are the shipmaster

THE GUITAR PLAYER

He is the shipmaster

Pause

THE MAN

You mustn’t leave me

Short pause

THE SHIPMASTER

I sail ships on the seven seas

The Woman looks at The Older Woman and The Older Man

THE MAN

We’ve only just met each other

and then you leave me again

I’ve been waiting for you

quite short pause

always

always have I

been waiting for you

And finally you were there

finally you came

to me

Pause

THE WOMAN

But Mum

Dad

How good to see you again

Pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

It was good to see you again

really good

Short pause. The Woman starts to walk towards The Older Man and The Older Woman

THE SHIPMASTER

Glad you came

I was so happy to see you

Short pause

THE WOMAN

But Mum

but Dad

THE MAN

You mustn’t leave me

quite short pause

because now we’ll be together

you and I

quite short pause

always you and I

The Guitar Player starts to follow The Woman

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I never thought I’d see you again

Pause. The Shipmaster starts to follow The Woman

THE SHIPMASTER

It was so good to see you

THE WOMAN

Mum

Dad

THE MAN

starts to follow The Woman

I’m so glad that I’ve finally

met you

Quite short pause

Don’t just go

THE SHIPMASTER

Finally you were here

THE WOMAN

Mum Dad

I’m here

Don’t you see me

I

your daughter

am here

THE MAN

I never thought you’d come

quite short pause

for all these years

I was here on my own

quite short pause

yes it sounds so stupid

quite short pause

but then you came

quite short pause

and then we were together

you and I

quite short pause

and I was so happy

that I finally

had someone I could

be with

THE WOMAN

Mum

Dad

Long pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

But don’t look at her

Come

We must go

Come

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

The Older Woman and The Older Man start to walk in the same direction as the others, away from them

THE WOMAN

But don’t go

Can’t you see

It’s me

It’s your daughter

Short pause

THE SHIPMASTER

You mustn’t go

Short pause

That you came here now

yes that’s the best thing that has happened to me

in my life

Quite short pause

But you can’t say things like that

It’s just the sort of thing you say

But it’s true

It is like that

quite short pause

so don’t go

Quite short pause

And I want you to know

Because it’s true

You must know it

Quite short pause

I have to say it to you

Quite short pause

And that’s why

when I saw you

when I saw you

quite short pause

yes I was so happy to see you

THE GUITAR PLAYER

But why are you leaving me

you my lovely woman

you my lovely lovely woman

Pause

THE WOMAN

But Mum

but Dad

quite short pause

why don’t you want to talk to me

why are you leaving

I’m your daughter

I only want to talk to you

I was so happy

to see you again

THE MAN

Why are you leaving me

THE WOMAN

You’re leaving me

Mum Dad

You abandon me

You have always

abandoned me

quite short pause

but I don’t demand anything

I only want to talk to you

I’m not asking

for anything

THE SHIPMASTER

Don’t just go

quite short pause

after so many years

yes I was so happy

to see you

and then you just go

quite short pause

you can’t just go

THE WOMAN

Mum

You’re my mother

You must answer me

when I speak to you

THE MAN

Finally you came

I love you so much

Don’t leave me

THE WOMAN

And Dad

why are you leaving

why are you just leaving

why do you want to disappear

from me

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Don’t leave me

THE SHIPMASTER

Don’t go

THE MAN

But can’t you stay here

stay here with me

you mustn’t go

Everyone stops, stands and looks down. Long pause

THE OLDER MAN

It’s as if I don’t know you anymore

THE OLDER WOMAN

You don’t know me

THE OLDER MAN

No

THE OLDER WOMAN

I get so scared

You scare me

THE OLDER MAN

But you become more and more unknown to me

quite short pause

I still know you a little

you are standing there

I can recognise you

I recognise your face

quite short pause

but you

but the one you are

yes you’re standing there

more and more becoming someone else

THE OLDER WOMAN

You mustn’t say that

It can’t be like that

THE OLDER MAN

I don’t know you

THE OLDER WOMAN

But you have

yes known me

for so many years

quite short pause

you’ve known me all these years

quite short pause

you remember

don’t you

THE OLDER MAN

I remember

in a way I remember like never before

Somehow I remember everything

yes everything that stands out

from things that always just happened

all that

as if it was one

and as if it was many things

I can remember

and at the same time

in the middle of it all

you’re there as someone I don’t know

quite short pause

and that

that I don’t know you

becomes bigger than everything else

everything I remember

and takes the place of what I remember

I don’t know you

THE OLDER WOMAN

No not like that

THE OLDER MAN

It is like that

And there’s nothing

we can do about it

THE OLDER WOMAN

No

THE OLDER MAN

And I want so much

to have known you

THE OLDER WOMAN

But you do know me

What can I do

to make you know me

THE OLDER MAN

There’s nothing you can do

to teach me to know you

THE OLDER WOMAN

There must be something I can do

THE OLDER MAN

I don’t think so

Short pause

And I’m so tired of all that’s unknown

THE OLDER WOMAN

Me too

THE OLDER MAN

Nothing here is known to me

THE OLDER WOMAN

No

THE OLDER WOMAN

And I don’t even

recognise you

THE OLDER WOMAN

You don’t recognise me

THE OLDER MAN

No

The Older Man walks further away from The Older Woman and stands there alone. Pause. The Woman walks over to The Guitar
Player and leans against him, starts to stroke him. Pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

I am here

Pause

THE MAN

I am so glad I met you

Short pause

THE WOMAN

To The Guitar Player

And you

my good friend

you my best friend

The Guitar Player frees himself from The Woman and goes and stands alone. Pause

THE MAN

You are my great love

Pause. The Woman goes to The Shipmaster, leans against him, strokes him

THE WOMAN

It’s so good to touch you

I feel safe

when I touch you

It makes me feel good

Pause

THE MAN

And you must never leave me

Pause

THE WOMAN

to The Shipmaster

You’re my best friend

Pause. The Shipmaster frees himself from The Woman and goes and stands alone. Short pause. The Guitar Player starts to play
air guitar. Everyone listens. Very long pause. Then The Woman begins to move to the guitar music and after a while the others also begin to move to the guitar music, each on their own, each in their own way
.