Authors: Jon Fosse
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
OVER THERE
Characters
THE MAN
THE WOMAN
Lights up slowly
THE MAN
stands and looks at something in the far distance
Do you see
short pause
but look
look over there
pause
don’t you see anything
pause
is there nothing to see
there
over there
don’t you see
answer me
THE WOMAN
Yes
THE MAN
There
over there
THE WOMAN
No I don’t really see anything
quite short pause
not anything unusual
quite short pause
I see
quite short pause
I only see what’s always been there
quite short pause
I see
quite short pause
I see the ridge
quite short pause
and behind the ridge I see the mountain
quite short pause
and beyond the mountain
yes there I see the sky
THE MAN
Yes
THE WOMAN
continues
and I see that the sky
yes it’s like before
yes like it usually is
quite short pause
not blue
but grey and grey
yes
yes that’s what I see
and
then
quite short pause
yes
THE MAN
You don’t see anything else
THE WOMAN
No
short pause
well
quite short pause
well I see
quite short pause
I see
yes
yes over there on the ridge
yes there’s the farmhouse
quite short pause
yes that has always been there
and the old hay barn
oh yes that’s there too
THE MAN
Nothing else
THE WOMAN
Well what do you mean
THE MAN
No
Pause. The Man turns and looks at The Woman
THE WOMAN
No it was nothing
THE MAN
No maybe not
THE WOMAN
Just something you thought
Pause
But did you see something
THE MAN
No it was probably nothing
THE WOMAN
But did you see something
THE MAN
Nothing worth mentioning
THE WOMAN
But what was it
THE MAN
Just forget it
Pause
THE WOMAN
So you saw something
THE MAN
Yes
Pause
THE WOMAN
But you don’t want to say what it was
THE MAN
It’s nothing worth mentioning
THE WOMAN
Not if I didn’t see it
THE MAN
No
THE WOMAN
Because then it was only you who saw it
THE MAN
Yes
THE WOMAN
And then it doesn’t exist
THE MAN
Yes I suppose
Pause
THE WOMAN
Shall we move on
THE MAN
Yes
The Man remains where he is. Pause
THE WOMAN
Don’t you want to walk any further
THE MAN
Yes
quite short pause
yes of course
short pause
THE WOMAN
But you don’t have to
quite short pause
if you don’t want to
we don’t have to walk any further
quite short pause
it’s quite alright
yes
of course
quite short pause
it has been a nice walk
yes so far
Short pause
THE MAN
Yes
of course we’ll walk further
Short pause
THE WOMAN
But we don’t have to walk to the very top of the mountain
quite short pause
not if you don’t want to
THE MAN
I said I wanted to
THE WOMAN
Yes
Short pause
But still
THE MAN
Let’s go
THE WOMAN
If you want to
quite short pause
yes let’s go then
THE MAN
I want to
He remains where he is. Long pause
THE WOMAN
But
yes
quite short pause
yes what did you see
THE MAN
Don’t ask about it
THE WOMAN
Sorry
Short pause
It’s just
since I didn’t see it
quite short pause
yes
yes I mean
THE MAN
I’m sure it was nothing
THE WOMAN
Just something you imagined
THE MAN
I’m sure
THE WOMAN
Maybe
quite short pause
in any case I didn’t see anything
Pause
THE MAN
Let’s sit down for a moment
THE WOMAN
Yes why not
The Man and The Woman sit down
Are you tired
THE MAN
No
THE WOMAN
But it’s nice to rest the legs
THE MAN
Yes
THE WOMAN
We’ve been walking for some time
THE MAN
Not for that long
THE WOMAN
No
quite short pause
no but for quite a bit
THE MAN
Yes
Long pause. The Man turns around and looks and then he stands up, again he stands and looks. Pause
THE WOMAN
Do you see anything
Pause
You want something to eat
quite short pause
something to drink
perhaps
Pause
The weather’s not too bad
quite short pause
at least it’s not raining
quite short pause
it’s not so nice to go for a walk then
not when the sun’s burning
either
short pause
this is good weather for walking
short pause
it couldn’t have been much better
quite short pause
no
quite short pause
and wasn’t it good that we finally got to take
this walk
quite short pause
we’ve been talking about it for so long
quite short pause
yes about walking up to that mountain
quite short pause
I don’t even know what it’s called
and
quite short pause
you don’t either I suppose
short pause
no
no I don’t suppose you do