Writing Adaptations and Translations for the Stage A Guide and Workbook for New and Experienced Writers

1. Brainstorming for Adaptation, 2. Writing an Adaptation, 3. Writing a Translation, 4. Production, 5. Case Study: Adaptation, The Little Mermaid, 6. Case Study: Translation, The Cherry Orchard, 7. Thoughts on Adaptation in Other Performative Modes

Biography

Jacqueline Goldfinger is an award-winning playwright, dramaturg, and librettist who has adapted a wide variety of material for the stage, including Madeleine L’Engle’s classic A Wind in the Door for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She is also the author of Playwriting with Purpose (Routledge, 2021). She received her MFA from the University of Southern California. For more information, visit www.jacquelinegoldfinger.com.

Allison Horsley is a Broadway dramaturg and translator who has also worked on US regional stages and internationally, including on the Broadway and West End hit Jersey Boys. She received her MFA from the Yale School of Drama. For more information, visit www.allisonhorsley.com.

"In this book Allison Horsely and Jacqueline Goldfinger have skillfully managed to create a practical guide which makes the herculean task of writing an adaptation seem accessible to all and uncomplicated, while still managing to retain its valuable service to seasoned playwrights. They also infuse a beautifully surprising humor and wit into the text that coaxes one into remaining in a creative space while using it as a guide. Moreover, their work in process for adaptations pays immense homage to the artistic soul of the playwright as storyteller, and not only the academic."
Amina Robinson, Award-Winning Performer-Director, Theatre Professor at Temple University

"There is so much wisdom in this book – both the authors’ own pearls, gleaned from broad experience within the profession, and a trove of insights from a wonderfully diverse group of other notable artists grappling with the challenges and rewards of adaptation and translation. The whole is neatly organized, with important Big Principles clearly laid out and supported by practical exercises and words of wisdom, which should be an inspiration to the experienced as well as the novice. The book’s welcoming tone encouragingly relieves the daunting pressure of undertaking a new adaptation or translation, and its principles are never presented as Dictums but rather as helpful guides, acknowledging always that there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat."
Michael Hollinger, Award-Winning Playwright-Adaptor-Translator, Theatre Professor at Villanova University

"This book gives you courage to start writing and keep writing. It looks at adaptations from all angles, while prompting and nurturing your own unique approach. It's for the novice, the experienced, the student, the professor, and everyone in between."
Elena Araoz, Director, Producing Artistic Director of Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University

"This book provides excellent blueprints for anyone interested in theatrical adaptation. Having spent years adapting poetry, fiction, and non-fiction for the stage, in either academic or commercial settings, a guidebook like this would have been invaluable. I will most certainly keep it by my side from now on."
Jerrell L. Henderson, Director, Puppeteer, African American Theatre Archivist

"This accessibly-written guide offers practical insights into translation and adaptation from a diverse group of leading practitioners. Envisioned as 'a community toolbox,' Writing Adaptations and Translations for the Stage provides real-world advice on creating theatrical work that speaks to the present moment. The authors and contributors deliver nuanced perspectives on the page-to-stage journey of a translation and/or adaptation, from the selection of source material to the rehearsal process. Annotated case studies, a summary of US copyright law, and a bibliography of recommended readings add useful resources. This book will be valuable to students learning the art of translation and adaptation and writers looking to enrich their craft."
Claudia Wilsch Case, Associate Professor of Theatre, Lehman College/CUNY

"Candid and wise. This insightful book gets at the heart (or, a translator might say, soul) of the artistic process and will set playwrights and their collaborators up for success. Goldfinger and Horsley keenly understand that there’s no singular ‘right’ way to create an adaptation for the stage, but there are plenty of missteps they can help you avoid and many helpful exercises that will put you on a solid path. From respect for legacy, to asking the right and difficult questions early on, this book hones in on both the practical and the passionate elements essential in doing this kind of work for the theatrical medium."
Jill Rafson, Producing Artistic Director, Classic Stage Company