The retranslation pact: Performability and “writing forward” in Darina Al Joundi’s The Day Nina Simone Stopped Singing

Abstract

The term “performability” is widely acknowledged as being conceptually unsatisfactory, yet it is a key component of any translation for performance. By reconsidering performability in the context of Alvstad’s “translation pact” and Alvstad’s work with Assis Rosa on retranslation, this article develops the notion of a retranslation pact that represents a mediation between the author/text and the audience. Key to this mediation is a new theoretically grounded understanding of performability that hinges on an understanding of voice: using direct observations from my author-assisted translation of a French-language play as a case study, an exploration of key discussion points aims to contribute to an improved understanding of the negotiation inherent in the retranslation pact by framing the collaborative process as an example of what Johnston defines as “writing forward”.