While watching Jerome Bel’s “Disabled Theater,” I really was unsure of what to make of it at first. It is obviously a very unique piece and there are many things that one needs to take into consideration when reviewing it. Although it is controversial, and some could argue that these disabled actors are being taken advantage of, that may not necessarily be true.
Firstly, I do not believe that Jerome Bel has a responsibility to these actors beyond the performance. He chose the performers that he wanted for his piece, created a performance for them, and they were paid to perform. Aside from that, I do not feel that he owes the performers any more than a choreographer would owe performers who are not disabled.
The debate over whether these actors are being exploited is very complicated and I could see the point of view of both sides. On one hand, it does seem that most of the entertainment derived from this performance came from the fact that these actors were disabled in various ways. In this way, Jerome Bel is exploiting their disabilities to create an entertaining performance. This came to light especially when the actors spoke about what their families thought of the piece. It was described as a “freak show” and many of the performers stated that their families did not enjoy it. I can understand why their families would feel this way and not enjoy seeing their disabled sons/daughters and brothers/sisters used as a spectacle for an audience to stare and laugh at.
However, I do not believe that Jerome Bel intended to exploit these performers, nor do I think he took advantage of them. I would assume that all of these people willingly did the performance and are paid for their services. In addition to this, they were given an opportunity that they otherwise may have never received. Everyone in the audience could obviously see the pure joy and elation these performers got while dancing and watching each other perform on stage. When you look at it this way, it seems that Jerome isn’t taking advantage of these actors, but instead he is daring enough to give these people a chance when no one else will.
