Over the years, Playwrights’ Workshop has built up a solid relationship with its sister organization, the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD). In the past 20 years the two organizations have collaborated on over 25 projects involving more than 50 writers and translators and over 200 actors, directors and dramaturgs. We have also used venues outside the Montréal area for English language translations, with a view to introducing French playwrights on at a national level. A number of models have been employed, but perhaps the most successful has been Transmissions.

Transmissions

This program brings leading English and French language playwrights and their translators together with our most talented and versatile actors and directors in order to perfect the art of translation for the stage. In this forum, Playwrights’ Workshop selects six of the most exciting, recently produced English-Canadian plays for consideration by CEAD, who reciprocate with six French-Québec plays. Each organization then selects one play and commissions a translation which is eventually workshopped with professional actors and a director. This is followed by a staged reading, to which Artistic Directors from prospective producing companies are invited.

The fact that so many Transmissions translations have gone on to production is a testament to the value of the exchange. Le Monument by Colleen Wagner, translated by Carole Fréchette, played to sold out houses last year. Antarktikos by David Young, translated by André Ricard, was so popular two years ago that it was brought back this winter, played again to sold out houses and now is playing in Vancouver as part of its tour. Plays such as Antarktikos by David Young or The Monument by Coleen Wagner would not have reached francophone audiences without this program. Nor would Carole Fréchette’s Elisa’s Skin have found its English-language success without Transmissions. It won the Governor General’s award in 2002, and was subsequently translated into German and Mandarin. It is a good example of the benefits of French to English translations. Many countries can access English plays more easily than French, and therefore French artists can reach a wider audience, as Elisa’s Skin did. PWM has also fostered translations into Spanish and Flemish.