Adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray into a play

The first 200 words of this essay...

"Adaptation is always a form of interpretation" Consider the interpretative challenges involved in adapting The Picture of Dorian Gray into either a play or a film.

In beginning an adaptation of any text, one opens to themselves a means for giving voice to their interpretation of said text. However, with this interpretation come certain challenges and responsibilities to the original text. Specifically, in attempting an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (PDG)from its novelistic beginning into a stage production, these challenges include taking note of key differences between the theatrical and novelistic modes, characterization techniques, dialogue and speech, timing/pace, and the ideological circumstances surrounding the transformation. The responsibilities to the original novel include some form of honesty and loyalty to at least some of the themes, and the general idea of character and narrative. It is these challenges which warrant explanation and exploration.

In adapting a novel into a play, it is important to consider the many key differences between the two, one of the most obvious being written narrative versus visual storytelling. One must consider how to portray Wilde's extensive descriptive language in a way that will not be too confrontational to the audience,