On the back cover of In-depth Reading of Shakespeare (Shincho Bunko, 2011), Ms. Matsuoka states, ‘My translations are completed in the rehearsal room.’ During her 28-year career as a translator of Shakespearean plays, Ms. Matsuoka has frequently gone to rehearsal rooms and met many directors and actors. During rehearsals, close attention is given to whether the lines can easily be spoken and whether they make sense immediately when we listen to them, and sometimes she adopts the opinions of the directors and actors and makes changes to the script. Ms. Matsuoka’s translations have been refined by collaborating with these directors and actors. In Act 2, we will introduce the directors and actors who have worked alongside Ms. Matsuoka as a translator of Shakespeare’s plays, along with her special episodes with them.
