DOI: 10.20375/0000-0011-4943-0
title: Disabled Theater

description: Abstract 
Within this production, the performers are provided a platform for self-expression. Each performer can convey themselves through dance, vocalize their perspectives, and openly discuss their disabilities. There exist no imposed aesthetic criteria or obligatory expertise that the actors must conform to; no predefined skills they must acquire. Instead, they are embraced for their authenticity, precisely as they are. The audience is faced with a confrontation of the distinctiveness and societal marginalization of disabled individuals, which in turn encourages them to reevaluate their assumptions regarding art and aesthetics.
 
Details 
In the beginning, eleven empty chairs, arranged in a semicircle facing the audience, are visible on stage. A woman sitting at the edge of the stage introduces herself as Simone Truong. She explains to the audience that she is Jérôme Bel’s assistant and translator, as he doesn’t speak the actors’ language, Swiss German. Throughout the play, she conveys his instructions to the actors.
First, she asks them to individually enter the stage and stand in front of the audience for one minute. She then calls the actors individually, after which each performs the assigned task. However, the “one minute” is subjective, as some stay longer while others leave sooner.
Then Simone passes on the task to the actors to introduce themselves with their names, ages, and professions. The audience gets to know Remo, Matthias B., Tiziana, Lorraine, Gianni, Miranda, Julia, Matthias G, Damian, Peter, and Sara. Except for two of the eleven actors, all are in their twenties and share acting as their profession. Afterward, the actors each take a seat on the chairs behind them.
Next, the actors are to state their disabilities. Once again, they step forward individually. They mention conditions such as learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, slowness, and Down’s syndrome. Some actors keep their statements brief, while others talk more extensively about their limitations. Remo, for example, explains to the audience that he forgets things due to his learning difficulties, and Damian describes the origin of the term “Down’s syndrome.” Some actors also share their negative feelings with the audience. Lorraine, for instance, refers to herself as a “fucking mongoloid” and mentions her pain regarding her frequent stuttering. Damian also says that he occasionally annoys his mother due to his slowness, and Miranda expresses that she often wishes she didn’t have a learning disability.
Simone then instructs seven actors, chosen by Jérôme, to perform their self-studied dance with personally selected music. The ensuing dances are diverse. Actors jump, spin, swing, and run, expressing themselves uniquely. Various music styles are represented, ranging from drum music and German hits to ABBA, Michael Jackson, and Italian music. The atmosphere is joyful among the dancers and the other actors, some of whom join in the background, dancing, and singing along on their chairs.
Simone now asks the actors, on behalf of Jérôme, to share their thoughts on the play. Most of them find the play good, but some mention that their families see it differently. Matthias B., for example, tells the audience that his sister cried in the car after the performance. She thought that the actors behaved like circus animals. Tiziana also reports that her sister didn’t like it. Julia then requests to sing a Justin Bieber song, which she is eventually allowed to do. Additionally, Gianni complains that he wasn’t chosen for the seven best dance solos, although he believes he is the best dancer.
Finally, Simone announces that Jérôme has decided to perform the four solos he initially didn’t choose. Gianni, Sara, Matthias B., and Matthias G. also perform their solos.