In 2015, Oregon Shakespeare Festival commissioned 36 playwrights—more than half of whom were women and playwrights of color, each paired with a dramaturg—to translate Shakespeare’s canon into contemporary modern English. Beginning this May, the 39 resulting work-in-progress adaptations will be presented at Off-Broadway’s Classic Stage Company.
When Lue Douthit, longtime literary director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, told me that she had hired 36 playwrights to translate Shakespeare’s scripts into contemporary English, I didn’t get it.
Play On Shakespeare today announces an expansive list of compelling actors and dynamic directors confirmed to participate in the Play on! Festival, presented in association with Classic Stage Company (CSC) and Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF).
commissioned modern English “translations” of all of Shakespeare’s plays drew headlines, and no small alarm, from purists who saw it as a kind of literary vandalism.
rom time to time, we [Fractured Atlas] feature a fiscally sponsored project who has been successful at using our program to advance their art/cause/career. This month, we interviewed Taylor Bailey of Play On Shakespeare.
November 8-11, 2018 | Shakespeare in Detroit | Production | Detroit, MI, USA
A few years ago, Nuyorican playwright Migdalia Cruz was chosen for a commission that initially excited her but also frightened her. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival asked her to translate a Shakespeare play for contemporary audiences.
April 20, 2018 | Prague Shakespeare Company | Production | Prague, CZ
Amy Freed sensed the guy could use some help.
Aditi Kapil and Liz Engelman are digging up ways to breathe life into some of Shakespeare’s (ahem) “mustier” laugh lines for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s “Play On! 36 playwrights translate Shakespeare” project. Aditi and Liz talk about teaming up on Measure for Measure, and the problem with Pompey’s posthumous punch-lines.
