'You Kiss Like in a Movie': A Contemporary Translation/Adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet"

Romeo and Juliet represents an extremely fluid work, also given its unusual blend of comedy and tragedy; moreover, translations tend to further magnify the polysemy of the Shakesperean text. Making reference to textual criticism and to the stage history of the play, this chapter focuses on a 2005 translation/adaptation that I wrote (with Marco Ponti) for Turin’s Teatro Stabile. Our performance-oriented approach aimed at modernizing the original thanks to a language spoken today by adult skivers, and consequently shifted the comedy/tragedy balance towards the former. This was also achieved by emphasizing Mercutio and the Nurse, and through the insertion of a chorus-like minstrel. Finally, the chapter reflects on some responses to this translation, with the help of some accounts from one of its actors.