Translating Havel: The Tricky Parts

Translating Havel: The Tricky Parts
Moderated discussion, readings, Q&A
Rehearsal for Truth, Theater Festival honoring Vaclav Havel
2020 Spring Weekend of Stage Readings
Organized by Vaclav Havel Library Foundation and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association

Renowned English translators of Vaclav Havel’s works – Paul Wilson, Jan Novak and Stepan Simek – joined playwright Edward Einhorn, Artistic Director of New York City’s Untitled Theater Company #61, to talk about the tricky parts of their projects and interlingual hurdles that accompany their wordcraft. Actors from Untitled Theater Company #61, Craig Anderson, Peter Brown, Uma Incrocci, Yvonne Roen, and Richard Toth, performed selected passages that each translator found particularly complicated to deal with: The Memo (1965), Office Party (1963), The Increased Difficulty of Concentration (1968), and Ela, Hela and the Hitch (1961).

The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.