Act One Summary

Translations is a three-act play set in the tumultuous nineteenth century country of Ireland. The action takes place in a hedge-school where students are faced with the invasion of English speaking soldiers. One of these soldiers falls in love with an Irish girl and then mysteriously goes missing. The son of the master of the hedge-school is forced to go into hiding to keep from being condemned for the crime although he is not responsible for the soldier's disappearance. Translations is a play about language, love, tradition, and the circumstances that force a break with these traditions.

The play opens with Manus working with hedge-school student Sarah. Although everyone in the town has accepted that Sarah is unable to speak, Manus is trying to teach her to talk. Meanwhile Jimmy reads from Homer's Odyssey. Manus praises Sarah warmly when she manages...