New Translation Commission – Arts Across Canada
New Translation Canada | Nouvelle Traduction Canada
NEW TRANSLATION COMMISSION
Offensive to Some
By Berni Stapleton
Translator (to French): Sonya Malaborza
“Offensive to Some” is a powerful theatrical work set primarily within a prison cell, where the protagonist reflects on her experiences of domestic abuse and the tragic consequences that led to her imprisonment for killing her abusive husband. The play addresses difficult but important themes of violence against women, survival, and empowerment through a darkly humorous yet poignant script. It shines a light on the resilience of survivors and challenges societal attitudes toward domestic abuse. The narrative spans historical and contemporary perspectives, weaving stories that reveal cycles of abuse and the strength required to break free from them.
MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT
Berni Stapleton
Atlantic Canada is rich with arƟsts and storytellers – Berni Stapleton represents and inspires the best of them. Throughout her career, she has audaciously experimented across forms, including musicals, solo performances, historical drama, and poetic collage. Her work is noted for bold and unyielding commitment to capturing the stories of women and girls from Newfoundland-Labrador and making a place for them and gender non-conformists in the canon.
MEET THE TRANSLATOR
Sonya Malaborza
Originally from Rexton, New Brunswick, Sonya Malaborza made a long detour to Toronto, then Moncton, before setling in Galloway, near the village where she grew up. A translator and incubator of ideas, she works as an editor at Prise de parole. L’accoucheuse de Scots Bay, her translation of Ami McKay’s best-selling novel “The Birth House”, earned her a Governor General’s Literary Award nominaƟon and the 2022 Éloizes Award. Her first book, Prendre racine, was published in the fall of 2023 by Prise de parole. Her Theatre Translation include Running Far Back by Don Hannah (Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre), Vicious Little Boyz in the Rain by Gil Garratt (Productions Nemesis), & Plan B by Michael Healey (Tarragon Theatre). www.sonyamalaborza.com
ABOUT NTC
“Our production would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of the New Translation Canada team in partnering playwrights and translators, commissioning the new translations, and developing the texts to make to them rehearsal ready.” – Karine Ricard, Théâtre français de Toronto
Every three years, four or five Canadian playwrights in both official languages (French & English) are nominated for the Siminovitch Prize, Canada’s top theatre award. Each of these playwrights represents a leading voice in Canadian playwriting as nominated by their peers.
This independent project was born from a discovery that the works of the playwrights nominated for the 2020 Siminovitch Prize and their contributions to Canadian culture were not available in both official languages. We imagine a truly national theatre community where the works of anglophone and francophone artists are available and promoted to audiences in both official languages.
ABOUT CREATIVE TRANSLATION
Professionally as “Creative Translation.”, Translation in theatre, rather than a word-for-word substitution, the source text is a point of reference to create an equally compelling work in the new language.
With many choices beyond words, the creative translator draws on a wide knowledge of the performing arts and a deep understanding of the target culture. In addition to new rhythms, poetic structures, and metaphors, it’s not uncommon for new scenes, scenarios, and text to be created. It is a uniquely collaborative art; one where the collaborators are the cultures and languages of the original and target population as embodied by the artists involved.
Our Creative Translation team is gathered from leading theatre makers in both official languages from across the nation.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Co-founders & Creative Producers: Johanna Nutter & Jack Paterson | Co-founder: Yolanda Ferrato
Land Acknowledgment
Activities related to this project take place on the traditional unceded territories of several First Nations and Indigenous groups in the territory now known as Canada. These include: the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (Vancouver, British Columbia), Kanien’kehá:ka Nation (Montreal, Quebec), Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), Tsuut’ina Nation, Nakoda Island First Nations and Métis Nation (Region 3) (Treaty 7 Territory, Calgary, Alberta), Anishinaabe-Algonquin Nation (Ottawa, Ontario) and Mi’kmaq Nation (Nova Scotia). We recognize and honour the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation commission and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous sovereignty on this unceded territory.
For more information on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada click here. www.nctr.ca
We gratefully ackowledge the support of:
