Fosse: Plays Six

FREEDOM

Characters

THE WOMAN

THE MAN

THE SECOND WOMAN

Black. Lights up. The Woman stands, looking down. Long pause. The Woman looks up, towards The Man

THE WOMAN

But you see

well

you do understand that

yes

yes that

Yes that I

quite short pause

Wanted to be free

quite short pause

I didn’t want to go round

with all those ties

that I had entered into

quite short pause

and of course I was

yes so young

yes when I became tied

yes when I entered into

quite short pause

yes the ties

quite short pause

yes the ties

you know so well

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

And I wanted to create

Yes my own ties

quite short pause

I wanted

stops

THE MAN

But now you are free

THE WOMAN

Yes I suppose so

THE MAN

And now you don’t want to be free

THE WOMAN

No I don’t want to be free

THE MAN

Why don’t you want to be free

THE WOMAN

Because one

when one is free

one is not free

at all

THE MAN

Why not

THE WOMAN

Because then one

is tied

tied and tied

by just one’s self

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

And the one who is tied

by and to her self

is

stops, short pause

THE MAN

Lonely

THE WOMAN

No

Yes

Pause

THE MAN

But the others they are there

yes they are everywhere

it is impossible to be alone

because the others

they are there

THE WOMAN

Yes

yes exactly

quite short pause

but in relation to the others

one doesn’t become free

short pause

and then there’s my children

THE MAN

Your children

quite short pause

yes your children

of course

yes

yes a child is a tie isn’t it

yes of course

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

And you want to be free

quite short pause

Not be tied

yes

yes to

stops

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

THE MAN

And now you are free

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

THE MAN

And now you don’t want to be free

THE WOMAN

No

Pause

Or yes

THE MAN

Yes you can be

quite short pause

yes lover

yes

yes

yes with whoever you want

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

With one or the other

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

Go to bed with whoever you want

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

You are free

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

But I

stops

THE MAN

Don’t you want to be free

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

Wasn’t it as you imagined

To be free

THE WOMAN

No

Pause

THE MAN

Freedom is not a good thing

THE WOMAN

No

quite short pause

But it is a condition

THE MAN

It is a condition

Short pause

Yes like death

quite short pause

like loneliness

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

But it isn’t good

quite short pause

yes doesn’t one try

all one can

laughs briefly

yes almost

to get away from freedom

permanent relationships

laughs briefly

having dogs

a permanent residence

regular income

a permanent job

quite short pause

yes children

THE WOMAN

Freedom is a good thing too

quite short pause

If you are shut in

quite short pause

yes then you want to go where you want to go

there is nothing else you want

THE MAN

But there is something else

THE WOMAN

No

THE MAN

Another person

other people

are not a room one is

shut up in

THE WOMAN

Aren’t they

THE MAN

No

THE WOMAN

Never

THE MAN

Never

Pause

THE WOMAN

But

quite short pause

now

yes now I have tried being free

and now

yes now I would like to tie myself

quite short pause

yes that is what it is called

to tie oneself

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

To you

To the children

THE MAN

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