The Guitar Man

The Guitar Man is a theatre monologue by Jon Fosse, written in 1994 and first published as a book in 1997. The original title in Norwegian is Gitarmannen. 

The Guitar Man had its world premiere with Cinnober Teater in Sweden January 7 1999, in a translation by Svante Aulius Lövenborg, using the title Gitarrmannen.

The guitar man came to the town where he lives because of a woman, and he stayed because of a son. Year after year he has been standing in his underpass, singing his songs for people who do not always want to listen. He has now reached a crossroads. The Guitar Man is a play about daring the unknown and to move on.

The plot of The Guitar Man is simple: A street singer taking a break, a breather from the trivialities and repetitions of daily life. He is a middle-aged man midway into an existential crisis. During the play he confronts his life. He makes a final decision and he acts on it.

The Guitar Man is a production about the necessity of making choices. There is a time for everything, including giving in. Facing defeat may let you see something else entirely different.

The Guitar Man was Jon Fosse's first theatre monologue.

SOURCES:

Ferske Scener, ferskescener.no, 23.11.2010, http://www.ferskescener.no/gitarmannen_av_jon_fosse

Cinnober Teater, cinnoberteater.com, 15.02.2013, http://www.cinnoberteater.com/

The book Teaterstykke 3 (literally: Theatrical Plays 3), Det Norske Samlaget (2005)