ABSTRACT
The most common approach to theatre translation since the second half of the 20th century holds that the rendering should be effected with its performability in mind. A well-known playwright – adaptor continues in this vein, denominating theatre translation "a tilt on a play" and stating: "It seems to a playwright that an intelligent translator is a kind of substitute director, or like the conductor of an orchestra, bringing out certain themes, emphasizing others". Whatever the case, it goes without saying that a fundamental aspect of a translated drama's playability or actability is that its language be speak able, although the concepts of performability and speakability have been criticised as vague, culturally based, and thus constantly shifting. The usual arguments against the preservation of rhyme proper in verse-drama translation predictably apply. A brief speculation about future directions in the translation of dramatic works leads to a consideration of three potential areas of foreseeable change.
