ABSTRACT
Having established why the directors work with canonical texts and what they hope to achieve with their productions, I discuss in this chapter how the directors work with such plays. In this chapter, I use translation theory, and particularly translation scholar Lawrence Venuti's concepts of ‘domestication’ and ‘foreignisation,’ to discuss how the directors translate the written text of canonical plays into contemporary theatrical performances. The chapter presents three main strategies for translating text to performance that are present in the work of the directors. The first strategy is concerned with translating the text – both its language and its reference points – to equivalents that are supposedly more relatable in the contemporary setting, and I discuss how such an endeavour might be problematic. In the second strategy, the directors, rather than finding contemporary equivalents, point out the differences between the text of the past and the contemporary situation and make these differences explicitly part of the staging. The third strategy involves the director completely reworking the text and using it more as a material for inspiration in a postmodern sense than as a ‘blueprint’ for performance. I argue that strategies whereby directors point out and challenge problematic features of canonical plays, rather than attempt to translate such features for contemporary sensibilities, form the basis for critically engaging with the canon and for creating theatrical productions that also encourage critical reflection on hegemonic structures in contemporary society.
