All of Cankar’s plays were published in English for the first time
STA, 4 January 2022 – The dramatic canon of Ivan Cankar, considered the greatest Slovenian playwright, was first translated into English in order for the West to discover a literary genius who is often compared to Henrik Ibsen.
The Cankar project goes west, conceived by the Prešeren Theater Kranj in cooperation with the Crane Creations Theater Company from Canada, wants to present to foreign audiences what is an important part of the Slovenian literary and dramatic canon.
In his plays, Cankar (1876-1918) explores themes such as political corruption and greed, morality, and the search for truth, using complex characters.
Cankar’s dramatic oeuvre was translated into English by Michael Biggins, Rawley Grau, Jason and Alenka Blake, Tina Mahkota and Tom Priestly, who sought to preserve his style and language.
The performances Romantic Souls, Jakob Ruda, Lakeji, Kralj Betajnov, Lepa Vida, Pokvarjenost v dolini Sveti Florjana and Za dobro naroda were published in physical and digital form. A collector’s luxury edition of 400 hard copies is also planned.
Soft and e-books will also be available on Amazon, the Prešeren Theater told STA, expressing hope that Cankar’s plays will soon be staged abroad.
The Cankar project goes west, which began last year at the 51st Slovenian Drama Week festival, was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia and the EU as part of the Creative Europe program.
The performances are accompanied by a timeline of historical events that influenced Cankar (1876-1918) and his work, as well as those that led to Slovenia’s independence. They are accompanied by photographs of various performances of his plays in Slovenian theaters.
According to the Kranj Theater, the translation and publication of books is just beginning a long-term project aimed at encouraging foreign theaters to stage Cankar’s plays.
As part of the ongoing promotion of the project, the Cankar Games were read on stage in London at the end of last year, and further readings were also planned in other theaters.