Developing a Quality Classification System for Theatre Translation: A Survey of Theatre Practitioners’ Quality Criteria

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

10.22111/ijals.2026.53147.2554

Abstract

This study aims to develop a quality classification system for the collaborative process of theatre translation. To address this gap, the study draws on Actor-Network Theory to explore the quality criteria of Iranian theatre practitioners, whose professional experience situates them as human actors within theatre translation networks. To ensure triangulation, interview data and the analysis of materials suggested by the interviewees informed the development of a questionnaire, which served as the primary data-collection instrument for the survey. The questionnaire underwent qualitative and quantitative validation before distribution. A total of 107 practitioners with experience in multiple roles across the page–stage–post-stage process participated in the study. The analysis revealed 46 quality criteria grouped into 11 underlying factors. Of these, 33 were of primary importance and 13 were of secondary importance. This classification system provides a provisional framework of criteria that contribute, directly or indirectly, to theatre translation quality. It may inform future research and professional practice in the field.

Keywords


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