The article deals with issues related to translation of texts for theatre in the light of the performative and cultural turn in the modern Humanities. While Cultural Studies scholars have abandoned the categories of directness in text translation in favor of analyzing cultural differences and contexts, they have neglected issues connected with language performativity, especially with regard to the dual function of the dramatic text – as literature and as theatre. Following the steps taken by William Worthen, the paper shows the historic dimension of the concept of a theatre play as literature (poetry) and as performance and proves that we have to look at the language of translation from the performative angle (contrasting “performativity” with “performability” as understood by Susan Bennett), not only in a broad cultural and social context. What has to be taken into account are the circumstances of the practice of reading and understating a play, its form as well as the cognitive frames of both the performance creators and the spectators. The argumentation is illustrated by a comparative analysis of two modern Polish translations of Comedic Theatre by Carlo Goldoni, accomplished by Jolanta Dygul and by the author of the article herself.

The article deals with issues related to translation of texts for theatre in the light of the performative and cultural turn in the modern Humanities. While Cultural Studies scholars have abandoned the categories of directness in text translation in favor of analyzing cultural differences and contexts, they have neglected issues connected with language performativity, especially with regard to the dual function of the dramatic text – as literature and as theatre. Following the steps taken by William Worthen, the paper shows the historic dimension of the concept of a theatre play as literature (poetry) and as performance and proves that we have to look at the language of translation from the performative angle (contrasting “performativity” with “performability” as understood by Susan Bennett), not only in a broad cultural and social context. What has to be taken into account are the circumstances of the practice of reading and understating a play, its form as well as the cognitive frames of both the performance creators and the spectators. The argumentation is illustrated by a comparative analysis of two modern Polish translations of Comedic Theatre by Carlo Goldoni, accomplished by Jolanta Dygul and by the author of the article herself.