This paper examines the choice to translate plays from "Hochdeutsch" (the standard form of the German language) into local dialect in German-speaking Switzerland. It first looks at the creative process of translating for the amateur stage and then at the reasons behind the choice to translate. It argues that this choice reflects a desire to promote local and national identities through language and to resist the dominance of German and transnational culture. (Contains 1 table and 11 notes.)