Any good play is solidly rooted in the mores and conventions of its time. Its language reflects the idiom, speech patterns, and diction of a particular era, the costumes and stage settings its aesthetic currents, and the stage instuctions its particular behavorial patterns. Since all these elements are subject to change, there is a continuous demand for updated translations. Countless good plays remain confined to their country of origin, i.e., their source language, because no translation was ever attempted or because the translation failed to convey the inherent qualities of the original. The decisive factor for the success and survival of a good play is in almost every instance the quality of its translation. This paper attempts to pinpoint some considerations essential to the successful translation of a play, be it for staging or the inclusion in an anthology. In addition, it raises some questions dealing with intellectual integrity and honesty in so-called adaptations, versions, or "collages", in which the original author's intent and qualities are completely disregarded and his characters, plot, and setting are used or abused in hopes of personal fame or gain.