Summer Translation Collaborative with Playwright Amy Ng
May 15-19, 2023
The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH, U.S.A., in person)
Traditional Chinese play translation for the contemporary stage
Pending grant funding
Staged reading of “Rescuing One’s Sister in the Wind and the Dust”; adapted by Amy Ng; based on “Zhao Pan’er Rescues a Sister Through Seduction” by Guan Hanqing; image credit ©Alameida Theatre
In this week-long workshop on the OSU campus, Amy Ng (a London-based Hong Kong playwright) will lead a collaborative effort to translate a classical Chinese play into stageable English. The workshop will feature guest presentations by experienced translators (mornings), hands-on group translation work & individual reflections (afternoons), and a staged reading (Friday afternoon). The goal is to create and document a new process for drama translation, while crafting an engaging, fun, and thought-provoking playtext.
We would like to recruit a diverse cohort of advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent MFAs and PhDs. Required qualifications: advanced command of modern Chinese, professional fluency in English. Interest in and/or experience with theater (any tradition) is desirable, but not required. We welcome novice translators as well as those with prior experience. We especially welcome applications by members of traditionally underrepresented groups.
Application (by April 1, 2023)
Provided our grant funding is approved, we will provide a limited number of stipends for travel & lodging. If you would like to participate in the workshop, please submit a letter of interest to ChineseTheaterCollaborative@osu.edu with the following information:
Brief biographical background; institutional affiliation; standing; language training and proficiency (all languages); prior involvement with theater and other performing arts (any tradition); prior translation and interpreting experience (all languages); funding needs.
Notification of Acceptance/Funding Support
We will notify you by April 7, 2023 (1) whether or not the workshop will go forward; (2) whether or not you have been selected for admittance; and (3), whether or not, we can offer funding support (if traveling from out of town). For any questions, please contact Prof. Patricia Sieber (organizer) at sieber.6@osu.edu.