Under the sponsor of UNESCO, OISTAT invited theatre professionals from around the world to collect, translate, and edit the most common theatre terms into a multi-language dictionary, Theatre Words. Starting from 1975, OISTAT has published three versions of Theatre Words - Northern Europe, Central Europe, and World Edition, covering 25 languages. As a response to the development of theatre technology and the Internet, OISTAT Publication and Communication Commission initiates Digital Theatre Words project. The project leaders are now working closely with volunteers from around the world to translate the first group of theatre words. The project is scheduled to be launched during the opening of the PQ-11, in June 2011, in Prague. More than 2,000 theatre terms with 3D graphics and descriptions will be ready to be searched and translated in many different languages via OISTAT the Digital Theatre Words multi-lingual Interface.
Digital Theatre Words (DTW) is a project focusing on new theatre terminology and currently has 24 languages online. It is the digital publication project of the OISTAT Publication and Communication Commission. The project is led by Michael Ramsaur and Jerome Maeckelbergh. The project leaders are now working closely with volunteers from around the world with contacts in many different languages. The project has been launched during the opening of the PQ’11, in June 2011, in Prague, where 18 languages were ready to go online. The second edition was published at World Stage Design 2013. The latest version was published in the end of 2014.
Roughly 2,000 theatre terms with descriptions of each term in each language can be searched in a multi-lingual Interface. 3D rendered graphics will follow soon, as will also encyclopedic entries.
For the moment we believe the content heavily weighted toward traditional western theatre practice. Our goal is that new terms will be added, with more focus on theatre technical terms related to specific cultural performance practices from different theatrical cultures the world over.
DTW seeks more colleagues to work on this project translating terms and writing descriptions in their mother tongue. To volunteer please write to headquarters@oistat.org.
DTW is a project in full development. The version that is currently online is a beta version. You are welcome to communicate your opinion about the work and the project to the same Email address headquarters@oistat.org.
Click here to download 2014 DTW for MAC
Click here to download 2014 DTW for PC
Uploaded December 10th, 2014
Updated May 4th, 2016
