Translations by Brian Friel at Derry Opera House

It is 1833, and change is coming to rural County Donegal, Ireland. A tight-knit group of neighbors gathers regularly at an Irish-language hedge school to study classics of Greek and Latin literature. A prodigal son of their own returns from Dublin with two British army engineers who have been tasked with mapping the country, drawing new borders, and translating local place names into the King’s English. Languages and histories collide, kindling romance and inciting violence. A modern classic from an Irish master, Translations explores the relationship between how we speak, who we are, and whom we love.

“Not only is Translations a beautiful exploration of the power of language,” says the show’s director, Matt Cahoon, “but it also has to be one of the smartest plays the company has ever produced.” While the play is presented almost entirely in English, very early on the audience becomes aware that many of the characters on stage do not actually speak or understand English. “The brilliant way that Friel deals with human communication and language barriers in the play is one of the things the actors really enjoy playing with,” says Cahoon.

Translations is the first show in tKAPOW’s eleventh season. Each of this season’s plays has been selected around the unifying theme “explore.” The concept of exploration is a foundation of all of theatre KAPOW’s work, but this year the idea is brought into tight focus with shows that tell the stories of explorers of different kinds. Whether they are exploring Ireland, the Pacific Ocean, or the depths of outer space, the shows all take the audience on journeys beyond the known world. Along with any exploration comes a search for truth and all of season eleven’s plays examine the lines between fact and fiction and what happens when that line is blurred.

Translations is directed by Matt Cahoon and features Carey Cahoon, Emma Cahoon, Andrew Codispoti, Peter Josephson, Emily Karel, Mark Marshall, Christopher Savage, Jimmy Stewart, Paul Strand, and Sven Wiberg. Longtime tKAPOW collaborator Tayva Young will be providing the lighting design.