A Text on Trial: the Translation and Adaptation of Adel Hakim's Exécuteur 14

This article deals with the problem of translation for the stage, of translation–adaptation and its subsequent production. It evidences the complexity of this type of practice, given the complex interplay of signs involved not only in translating the text for the stage, but also at the level of performance. The implications for translation theory and practice are discussed through discussion of the translation and performance of a text that is politically engaged, Adel Hakim's Exécuteur 14. This paper also problematizes the relation among different languages within the same text, the role of foreign terms, of syntax, and rhythm in the construction of discourse, and implications for translation. In particular the focus is on the problem of the relation between intertextuality, translation, performance, communication, and value systems.