Verbatim Theatre, a Question of Ethics

Documentary (or more specifically Verbatim) Theatre appears to be such a positive and powerful tool.  I had never heard of it prior to this reading, so my initial reaction, while short-lived, was a sense of encouragement.  I thought, “What a great way to use the arts as a ‘voice’ for the oppressed or unheard.”  My second thought was to the parallels between last week’s class on the Vagina Monologues as well as the production we intend to create.  However, it didn’t take long before my initial opinion received a devastating blow in the form of two scholarly articles questioning the ethics of Verbatim Theatre, specifically the use of personal interviews.   

                There were a couple of points that particularly stood out to me; both having to do with the very nature of Verbatim Theatre itself.  The name implies that performances in this genre of arts will entail an exact reproduction of words belonging to persons other than the writer(s) of the play.  Depending on the nature of the subject matter, more often than not these productions are based off of personal interviews that contain numerous individual stories. These are then compiled together to convey the message that the writer intends.  The ethical dilemma comes into play through the question of whether or not a person can be completely separated from their own personal story.  While scholars can make arguments that no one can own a story, nevertheless many people feel they have a right to their own experiences, even if they choose to share them with other people (such as in the form of an interview to be included in a play).  What has been observed is that writers and producers of verbatim performances essentially take ownership of people’s stories when they record and then perform the words, thoughts, and ideas of their interviewees.   The other observation is that writers and producers have the capacity to capitalize tremendously (both in terms of money and fame) off of these plays.  The question here is whether or not it is ethical to profit off of other’s life experiences (even if they consent to sharing). 

                The solutions to these ethical dilemmas are important to everyone, but are particularly vital to our class.  I’ve always been a big believer in learning from other’s experiences (both positive and negative).  Of course you can’t base every action you take off of others before you, but you certainly can take them into account.  In our case, it would be wise to assure that no one we interview feels used or taken advantage off, no matter the outcome of this project.  The author of the first article used the term “negotiation” several times for good reason.  In my experience, when incorporating numerous opinions in a piece, it’s critical to be constantly evaluating progress and consensus as whole.  In our case, this would mean assuring that our interviewees are always comfortable with how we are using their stories and life experiences.  In regards to the second dilemma…we probably have nothing to worry about.