Birgit Schreyer Duarte – Translator

As a German Native speaker in Toronto, I've translated both into and out of German for two decades. I love drama, fiction and short fiction, but also enjoy translating biographical writing and travel literature. I have translated two dozen plays, including works by the most celebrated German writers, such as Roland Schimmelpfennig, Max Frisch, Lukas Bärfuss, Marieluise Fleißer, Felicia Zeller, Nino Haratischwili, Ewe Benbenek, Philipp Löhle, Thomas Köck, Pascal Mercier, Wolfgang Herrndorf, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, and many others. My translations have been staged in theatres across Canada and in London, UK.

I have also been a German language consultant on a film set, a surtitle supervisor for the opera, and created subtitles for a show on tour.

You'll find that I'm an expert collaborator and a cheerleader for your work, since I'm a dramaturg by training. That's essentially a script editor, play consultant, adaptor, researcher, cultural mediator and therapist all in one. This background is beneficial to any writer who wants to share their stories in another language and culture. We dramaturgs serve as the connectors between writers, directors and performers in the theatre: our job is to bring out the best in a writer and in their text and to help communicate between all parties involved. As a translator, too, I listen closely to the writer's voice before carefully considering the cultural, personal and situational context of each task. I am thoughtful, sensitive, obsessed with nuances and I love in-depth debates over word choices and cultural differences!

I also work with a proofreader, if required.

TESTIMONIALS/REVIEWS:

The collaboration with Birgit who translated my text “Tragödienbastard” into English was the best collaboration with a translator I had so far. It was an honor to work with such an experienced and creative translator. Birgit could grasp the form and rhythm of my language [and] I felt very seen in the way she connected with the topics of my text, such as issues of feminism in their intersectional dimensions. (Ewe Benbenek)

Birgit’s German translation of "The Knitting Pilgrim" for our German tour was fantastic. Due to her intimate knowledge of both cultures involved,

she was not only diligent in finding the best way to convey the play’s message, but helped immensely with adapting the translation for our projected surtitles. (Claire and Kirk Dunn, Producer/Writer)

I very much appreciated our collaboration on the English premiere of my play THE THING in Toronto, especially because Birgit does not merely translate words but can transfer meaning and cultural specificities into other linguistic contexts. I would work with her again anytime! (Philipp Löhle)

Lukas Bärfuss’ THE TEST:

“Barfuss' dialogue [is] masterfully translated by Birgit [...]” (blogto.com)

“[The play] can also be, in Birgit's excellent translation, laughout-loud funny” (Robert Cushman, National Post)

“[Birgit] did an excellent job with the translation/re-imagination” (Atom Egoyan, film director)

Felicia Zeller’s KASPAR:

“One has to admire Birgit’s translation of unconventional language. [My] favourite SummerWorks production so far” (mooneyontheatre.com)

“Brilliant translation of a complex text” (Natalie Alvarez, Brock University)