A rural classroom becomes the epicenter of a clash between cultures and traditions in this classic tale from one of Ireland’s most beloved playwrights.
An “impeccably cast and staged show”
Chicago Tribune
Cast
* Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers
translations in production
The cast of TRANSLATIONS
Watch the cast of TRANSLATIONS discuss how the themes of culture and language play a huge part in this powerful story.
Creative
Ian Stanton Swain
Ryan Christopher Platte
Know Before You Go
About the Play
- Brian Friel was called “the finest Irish dramatist of his generation” by The Guardian. His other famous plays include Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Faith Healer, and Dancing at Lughnasa.
- Baile Beag, the town where the play takes place, is a fictional one that Brian Friel set many of his plays in. The town is located in Donegal, a rugged and remote county in the far northwest of Ireland.
- The play is set in 1833, three decades after the Act of Union brought Ireland into the United Kingdom, and twelve years before the start of the Great Famine.
- Most of the Irish characters only speak their native Irish, and the British characters only speak English. Although the play is presented in entirely in English, the difficulty the British and Irish have in understanding one another is at the core of the story.
- The character of Hugh is a hedge school master. Hedge schools were informal classrooms held outdoors or in unused barns at a time when it was illegal for Catholics to teach young people.
- Captain Lancey and Lieutenant Yolland, members of the Corps of Royal Engineers, are in Donegal as part of the Ordnance Survey, a British effort to map Ireland in detail.
Content Advisory
This production features the use of theatrical haze.
The performance also includes mild language and innuendo, discussion of violence and death, and alcohol consumption.
Dive Into the World of Translations
Special Events
Putting a Place to a Name
A talk exploring the connection between language and location
You may know that the name “Chicago” comes from a French adaptation of the Miami-Illinois word for “wild onion.” But did you know that "shikaakwa,” with connotations of strong smells, also translates to “skunk?” Delve into onomastics, the scientific study of the not-so-scientific but fascinating history of names, at this lecture led by NEIU professor Karen Duchaj.
The Final Word
Translations Audience Discussion
Seeing the show is just the beginning of the conversation. Join WT Artistic staff for a discussion about the themes and production elements of the show.
First Rehearsal
in rehearsal
