Here we publish the journal written by Bogdan Georgescu after his experience at Sala Beckett (Barcelona) in December.
It is always a great chance to get to see your work translated in a different language, in a different culture. The amazing part Fabula Mundi exchange program provides is generating a dialog between contemporary artists. The language, the types of theatricality, the social and cultural focus points don’t necessarily coincide, although we share the same continent. I didn’t think once that being a priest’s (orthodox) child would be something uneasy to understand. Yet, a catholic priest never marries. And this is only a small example. What I find more interesting than these differences is the negotiation for finding common ground, those issues that we’re all concerned about, the aspects and nuances that bring us together, more than emphasizing the obvious differences. The translation is not only a language one, but also a cultural one. The chance of being part of final rehearsals, of talking to the actors and the director together with the translator is a great working process for getting to a better understanding and getting to a stage presentation which would resonated to the local audience. And Sala Beckett provided that generously. Of course the time is always short, no matter how many days one would have. But the “theatrical” translation, in terms of theatre methods, theatrical language, acting and directing instruments applicable for each specific text is the most interesting part of the working process, and it would be a great way of developing the Fabula Mundi program, through exchange residencies in which the playwright is part of the entire staging process of the play, an active member of the creative team.
Bogdan Georgescu
