Symposium and Book Launch for Latin American Plays in Translation

Recently released by Methuen Drama, Latin American Plays in Translation: Modern Stories of Gender, Class and Society in Latin America is a unique and fascinating collection of contemporary plays. 

In this symposium, playwrights Xavier Villanova, translators Fran Olivares and William Gregory, and co-editor Zhui Ning Chang share with audiences across the world about the project, what readers will find in the book, and why these plays matter so much today. Moderated by Sophie Stevens. 

Join us for a conversation about creating theatre across borders, its challenges, and its possibilities; and imagine with us a global community that crosses oceans and continents to produce new spaces.

About the book

From streetwise urchins with a sharp eye for political discourse in Chile to artists who dream of better futures amidst crisis in Perú; from fairy-tale parodies of Princess Diana as an expression of gender-based violence to mundane, everyday acts of love amid hardship, Latin American Plays in Translation offers a unique insight into the concerns and creative responses of some of Latin America's leading contemporary playwrights. 

Curated by Global Voices Theatre, this collection features plays originally presented at their popular live events at Arcola Theatre in 2018 (Global Female Voices), and the Roundhouse in 2019 (Global Latin American Voices), sharing the multiplicity and complexity of Latin American experiences. 

The plays include: 

• La Jana by Juan Pablo Aguilera Justiniano, translated by William Gregory (Chile) 
• A Ranch for the Lost Boys by Sebastián Eddowes, translated by the playwright (Perú)
• The SAD Summers of Princess Diana by Carla Zuñiga, translated by Fran Olivares (Chile)
• She by Susana Torres Molina, translated by Gilda Bona (Argentina)
• Nezahualcóyotl Dreams in Mictlan York by Xavier Villanova, translated by Roberto Cavazos (México)
• Extraordinary Life by Mariano Tenconi Blanco, translated by Catherine Boyle (Argentina)

Complete with an introduction by Malú Ansaldo, international theatre producer and curator of the 2019 Global Latin American Voices event, as well as forewords from the translators of each play, Latin American Plays in Translation invites readers to discover these stories of gender, class, and society that speak to modern audiences.

About HowlRound TV

HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based, peer-produced, open-access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world’s performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and develop our knowledge commons collectively. Anyone can participate in this community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our contribute content page.