Fosse: Plays Six

She was so scared

To her

everything was so big

SECOND WOMAN

Yes

SECOND MAN

Life

was too big

quite short pause

or too small

quite short pause

perhaps she was too kind

too strange

too good

quite short pause

perhaps

pause

SECOND WOMAN

loudly

No

Loudly

Don’t just stand there

Don’t stand there like that

You just stand there

Don’t just stand there

Pause. The Second Man moves away from The Second Woman, he stops and stands straight, looks down. The First Woman looks at him

FIRST WOMAN

to The First Man

What is he doing there

why is he standing there

like that

FIRST MAN

You tell me

FIRST WOMAN

Imagine just standing there

like that

Why do that

FIRST MAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes why is he standing there like that

quite short pause

he just stands there looking down

why is he doing that

FIRST WOMAN

I don’t understand it

I don’t understand

why people do the things they do

FIRST MAN

No

Quite long pause. The First Woman walks over to The Second Man

FIRST WOMAN

You’re just standing there

SECOND MAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes I suppose I am

FIRST WOMAN

Yes I saw you standing here

and then I thought

breaks off

SECOND MAN

looks up

Yes

SECOND WOMAN

Yes why are you just

standing here

SECOND MAN

I don’t know

FIRST WOMAN

But

quite short pause

yes you and I

yes have we met each other before

It feels a bit like that

SECOND MAN

Perhaps

Could well be

FIRST WOMAN

But you don’t remember it

SECOND MAN

Not quite

no

FIRST WOMAN

I think we’ve met each other before

SECOND MAN

Yes

yes when you say it

FIRST WOMAN

How come you don’t remember

I remember

yes

yes that we’ve met before

SECOND MAN

Maybe

FIRST WOMAN

But you don’t remember me

SECOND MAN

Yes perhaps

quite short pause

yes let me think

you

quite short pause

you

quite short pause

you and I

FIRST WOMAN

Me and you

SECOND MAN

You and I

Short pause

FIRST WOMAN

Yes you and I

SECOND MAN

You and I

we

breaks off

FIRST WOMAN

No you don’t remember

Short pause

SECOND MAN

I don’t seem to

FIRST WOMAN

Oh well then

The Other Woman walks over to The First Woman and The Second Man

SECOND WOMAN

So here you are

Pause. The First Man moves towards The Lonely Woman

FIRST MAN

So you’re here too

Quite short pause

It’s good to see you

LONELY WOMAN

Yes I’m here

quite short pause

I have to be

quite short pause

yes you know

yes you have to be somewhere

FIRST MAN

Yes

And you’re alone

LONELY WOMAN

I enjoy being alone

FIRST MAN

You like being alone

LONELY WOMAN

That’s not it

perhaps

but

quite short pause

yes

yes well I am alone

Short pause

FIRST MAN

And we haven’t met before

LONELY WOMAN

I don’t think so

FIRST MAN

Or perhaps

LONELY WOMAN

Perhaps we have met before

FIRST MAN

But we don’t remember it

LONELY WOMAN

No

no in that case we’ve forgotten

Pause

SECOND WOMAN

I’m saying that here you are

quite short pause

and that it was nice to meet again

to see each other again

quite short pause

or wasn’t it

FIRST WOMAN

Yes

quite short pause

Yes it was nice

but you and I

yes have we met each other before

did we shake hands you and I

quite short pause

no I don’t think so

The First Man turns away

SECOND WOMAN

Let’s shake hands now

FIRST WOMAN

Yes now

quite short pause

now that we’ve met each other

SECOND WOMAN

Then we should

shake hands

FIRST WOMAN

Yes

yes let’s

SECOND WOMAN

Let’s shake hands

FIRST WOMAN

If you don’t want to shake hands

quite short pause

of course that’s fine too

SECOND WOMAN

Why should we shake hands

FIRST WOMAN

Well because

quite short pause

yes it’s what you do

when you meet someone

SECOND WOMAN

Yes you shake hands

FIRST WOMAN

You do don’t you

SECOND WOMAN

Yes

yes you do

FIRST WOMAN

But you don’t want to shake hands

SECOND WOMAN

I didn’t say that

FIRST WOMAN

Yes

SECOND WOMAN

Oh alright then

Pause

Why are you so nasty to me

FIRST WOMAN

I’m not nasty to you

SECOND WOMAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes you are

And why are you

FIRST WOMAN

I’m not

SECOND WOMAN

Yes you are

and I shall tell you

yes why you are

FIRST WOMAN

Yes

yes why don’t you

SECOND WOMAN

No I don’t want to

Short pause

FIRST WOMAN

Just say it

just say what you were going to say

SECOND WOMAN

No

FIRST WOMAN

Yes say it

why don’t you say it

Pause. The First Man walks towards the three of them. Pause. The Second Woman walks towards The First Man and embraces him, lays her head on his chest

To The Other Man

Oh look

quite short pause

look what she’s doing

SECOND MAN

Yes

FIRST WOMAN

And you think it’s fine

for her to do that kind of thing

quite short pause

but can’t you see

quite short pause

can’t you see