Translating theatre play for free - feedback needed Thread poster: Alain Martin (X)
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Alain Martin (X) 
Local time: 15:20
German to Spanish
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Hello everyone,
I would like someone to give me his/her opinion about this issue.
A dramatist has offered me to translate one of his theatre plays and he offers me that if someone wants to play it I would have the copyright of the translation.
He told me to translate a scene to make the promotion among the companies and I did, but now he´s asking me to translate the hole play, as the companies need it before deciding if they want to play it.
The play has ab... See more Hello everyone,
I would like someone to give me his/her opinion about this issue.
A dramatist has offered me to translate one of his theatre plays and he offers me that if someone wants to play it I would have the copyright of the translation.
He told me to translate a scene to make the promotion among the companies and I did, but now he´s asking me to translate the hole play, as the companies need it before deciding if they want to play it.
The play has about 18000 words. The dramatist is convinced it will be very succesful but I don´t have any guarantee of it.
I have never translate a play and I don´t know how it usually works. Is it usual to translate a play for free?
I will apreciate any information ▲ Collapse
| | | | Faustine.Rou (X)
Local time: 14:20
English to French
| translate for free ? | Jan 10, 2013 |
Alain Martin wrote:
Hello everyone,
I would like someone to give me his/her opinion about this issue.
A dramatist has offered me to translate one of his theatre plays and he offers me that if someone wants to play it I would have the copyright of the translation.
He told me to translate a scene to make the promotion among the companies and I did, but now he´s asking me to translate the hole play, as the companies need it before deciding if they want to play it.
The play has about 18000 words. The dramatist is convinced it will be very succesful but I don´t have any guarantee of it.
I have never translate a play and I don´t know how it usually works. Is it usual to translate a play for free?
I will apreciate any information
Is it usual to work for free? No. Here's your answer
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 15:20
Spanish to English
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(TANSTAAFL es una sigla del adagio en inglés "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch", que traducido casi literalmente al español significa "No hay tal cosa como un almuerzo gratis" o "No existen almuerzos gratis", y en una versión más usual se identifica con el refrán "Nadie da algo por nada" o "Nadie regala nada".)
No, it is not normal practice. The only way I would consider translating 18000 words free of charge would be for a charity, not for some dramatist or author who... See more (TANSTAAFL es una sigla del adagio en inglés "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch", que traducido casi literalmente al español significa "No hay tal cosa como un almuerzo gratis" o "No existen almuerzos gratis", y en una versión más usual se identifica con el refrán "Nadie da algo por nada" o "Nadie regala nada".)
No, it is not normal practice. The only way I would consider translating 18000 words free of charge would be for a charity, not for some dramatist or author who doesn't want to (or can't) pay.
Translating theatre scripts, literature or poetry is not the same as translating an instruction manual or business letter, it is highly specialised and in principle I for one wouldn't feel comfortable doing it - even if I was being paid!
¡Que no te tomen el pelo, hombre! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Hello Alain, | Jan 10, 2013 |
"The play has about 18000 words. The dramatist is convinced it will be very succesful but I don´t have any guarantee of it."
If he is so sure about that he might as well pay you in advance. The risk is to high, don't do it without being paid or any other kind of guarantee.
Gudrun
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Alain Martin wrote:
Is it usual to translate a play for free?
yes, probably in slavery times regardless of the anticipated success
| | | | | Translating plays | Jan 10, 2013 |
I have not translated plays myself, but know someone who published a drama anthology & had to source translations of all of the plays in it. He paid little - although this book was destined to be used as a textbook, the circulation numbers would not be very large - and most of the translators ended up being professors of literature who translated the works for their research or as a labor of love.
So, do it if you love drama and want to take on a labor of love, but don't look at thi... See more I have not translated plays myself, but know someone who published a drama anthology & had to source translations of all of the plays in it. He paid little - although this book was destined to be used as a textbook, the circulation numbers would not be very large - and most of the translators ended up being professors of literature who translated the works for their research or as a labor of love.
So, do it if you love drama and want to take on a labor of love, but don't look at this as a great business proposition. Most likely it's not. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 15:20
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
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| Playwright spreading his name for free | Jan 10, 2013 |
If he wants to step into a new market/new language, then he needs to understand there is an investment to make and a risk to that investment, just like in any other business.
You see in theaters there are some people who make big bucks, others who make very little and many who are enthusiasts working for free. It's up to you if you wanna be in the third group.
Is this person offering you a contract or just some abstract promises and assessments? You may very easily end... See more If he wants to step into a new market/new language, then he needs to understand there is an investment to make and a risk to that investment, just like in any other business.
You see in theaters there are some people who make big bucks, others who make very little and many who are enthusiasts working for free. It's up to you if you wanna be in the third group.
Is this person offering you a contract or just some abstract promises and assessments? You may very easily end up translating the full play, making success and still end up not being paid. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 15:20
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Labor of love | Jan 10, 2013 |
Daina Jauntirans wrote:
I have not translated plays myself, but know someone who published a drama anthology & had to source translations of all of the plays in it. He paid little - although this book was destined to be used as a textbook, the circulation numbers would not be very large - and most of the translators ended up being professors of literature who translated the works for their research or as a labor of love.
So, do it if you love drama and want to take on a labor of love, but don't look at this as a great business proposition. Most likely it's not.
Never mind how much you love it, you still need to dig conceptually into it and think about how it will be performed, visualize the stage etc, it's a creative process that takes time. KudoS to someone who has so much free time and their bills taken care of so they can devote time to it (for free).
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Adrian Olguin
Argentina
Local time: 11:20
English to Spanish
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| Only if he signs an agreement | Jan 10, 2013 |
saying that you will own the copyright, etc, and then you have to take the chance of it never being played (or bought) and you will have worked for a couple of weeks for nothing. Otherwise, run away!
[Edited at 2013-01-10 21:05 GMT]
| | | | | You own the translation copyright anyway. | Jan 10, 2013 |
It's not his to give you.
| | | | | Plays are usually translated by playwright, poets and writers. | Jan 11, 2013 |
Plays are usually translated by playwrights, or novelists at least. Translation of a play, or a poem, is totally different than most types of translation. It is often done by other playwrights and writers, often for royalties. Some may charge a lump sum. So if you are able to translate the play, you may charge the author either way, but if you choose royalties, there is a chance that will never get paid anything.
| | | | | It's doable, but... | Jan 15, 2013 |
Actually, a translator friend of mine makes quite a decent living translating theater plays on spec. But - doing so requires a good working knowledge of the theater business and all the right connections, primarily among stage and theater directors. In this situation, yes, a translator can translate a scene (not the whole play) for free and then shop the project around offering it to various theater groups. If they're interested, they pay him/her royalties of (usually) 4% of the box office recei... See more Actually, a translator friend of mine makes quite a decent living translating theater plays on spec. But - doing so requires a good working knowledge of the theater business and all the right connections, primarily among stage and theater directors. In this situation, yes, a translator can translate a scene (not the whole play) for free and then shop the project around offering it to various theater groups. If they're interested, they pay him/her royalties of (usually) 4% of the box office receipts, but the translator might also try to negotiate an advance with the interested theater.
The beauty of it is, once the play's out, provided it's reasonably popular and is accepted by several theaters, royalties keep trickling in. The friend of mine - admittedly a literary figure with all the contacts in the theater world - earns the equivalent of an average wage just from royalties from several plays he translated on spec for free and took the trouble of shopping them around. But it's a very chancy business and the person who makes decisions is really the director not the playwright. The main question is, do you two have any idea where to submit it? Does he have any contacts among directors, and do you think you can pull the marketing off? It's more about marketing and inevitable rejections that come with it than the translation itself. Good luck! ▲ Collapse
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Alain Martin (X)
Local time: 15:20
German to Spanish
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TOPIC STARTER
Thank you very much for your advices. They have been very helpful to me.
I explained the dramatist that I don´t have much time for that project and that I don´t want to take the risk of having worked for nothing. I proposed him that he could pay me for the translation and I would give him the hole copyright, so if he was sure of the success he would get the invested money back. He just said he understands my reasons.
Thank you again to all of you. Gracias a todos.
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