<p>Montierra Yates, a recent graduate of&nbsp;the NYU Master’s in Translation &amp; Interpreting&nbsp;program, is a translator whose work lives at the intersection of language, performance, and cultural memory. Most recently, she contributed to<i style="font-size: 0.8125rem;"> Queen Bess</i>, a bilingual theatrical production that brings the story of Bessie Coleman, the first Black and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license, to the stage. In this work, Montierra navigates not just language, but history, emotion, and voice—ensuring that the pilot’s story resonates across audiences and cultures. Learn more about Montierra’s experience below:</p> <p><b>Q: What did it mean to you to carry Bessie Coleman’s story across languages in the play <i>Queen Bess</i>?</b></p> <p>A: This story felt incredibly powerful to me. I didn’t grow up knowing much about Bessie Coleman, the first Black and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license, so learning about her journey—everything she had to overcome just to pursue flight—was deeply moving. She was told “no” at every turn, yet still found a way to France to make her dream happen. As a woman of color, that really stayed with me. Even now, there are parallels in the challenges we still face. Being asked to translate this story felt like an honor—it made the work feel bigger than language. It felt like carrying something forward.</p> <p><b>Q: What does true collaboration look like between playwright and translator?</b></p> <p>A:<b> </b>For me, collaboration meant listening—really listening. I worked closely with Amina McIntyre’s vision, even though we hadn’t initially met. I attended a table read, studied the full script, and made sure I understood the emotional arc of each scene. It wasn’t just about translating isolated lines—it was about understanding what each moment was supposed to feel like. I also had to research 1920s French to avoid anachronisms, which added another layer. There was a lot of back-and-forth, a lot of asking questions, and even bringing in Francophone readers to make sure the language felt authentic.</p> <p><b>Q: How did you approach translating dialogue for a live audience?</b></p> <p>A: I’m always thinking about how language will live—not just how it reads. With theater, it has to feel natural when spoken and understood in real time. So even when there isn’t a direct translation, I focus on capturing the emotional equivalent. For example, if a line in English says someone is going to “lose their mind,” I think about how that sentiment would actually be expressed in French. It’s about preserving the energy and intention, not just the literal wording.</p> <p><b>Q: How did your training in the Master’s in Translation &amp; Interpreting prepare you for this kind of project?</b></p> <p>A: Honestly, everything from the program played a role. The emphasis on research was huge—especially for a historical piece like this. I had to learn aviation terminology, understand the cultural context of the 1920s, and make sure my language aligned with that world. The program also taught me to think about purpose: What is this text trying to do? What emotion should it evoke? That framework guided every decision I made.</p> <p><b>Q: When did you realize you could step into work like this?</b></p> <p>A: I don’t think there was one specific moment. It has felt more like a series of steps—each experience building on the last. I’ve always cared about doing language work well, even before my formal training. The program gave me the tools and confidence to take that instinct further. This project felt like a natural extension of that exact growth.</p> <p><b>Q: How do you see translation as bridge-building and advocacy?</b></p> <p>A: Translation has always been about connection for me. Before my degree, I was already doing this kind of work informally—helping people communicate in medical settings, translating materials, supporting communities. Later, I volunteered as a medical interpreter, working with underserved Spanish-speaking communities. That work showed me how critical language access is—how it can create safety, dignity, and understanding. At the same time, translation is also storytelling. Whether it’s a play, a book, or even a song, there’s something powerful about helping a story reach someone who wouldn’t otherwise have access to it. That’s what keeps me connected to this work.</p> <p><i>Thank you to Montierra for sharing her story and her work with us! Congratulations to you and to playwright Amina S. McIntyre on the world premier of Queen Bess at Théâtre du Rêve–Theater of the Dream.&nbsp;&nbsp;To learn more about the fully online Master’s in Translation &amp; Interpreting at NYU School of Professional Studies, visit <a href="http://sps.nyu.edu/translation">sps.nyu.edu/translation</a>.&nbsp;</i></p>