‘Such a shock': Paris theatre soul-searching after allegations of sexual abuse
A feted left-wing French theatre company based in a park outside Paris is soul-searching after accusations it has left underage volunteers vulnerable to sexual abuse.
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The Theatre du Soleil, a collective based since 1970 in a disused munitions factory in the Bois de Vincennes park east of the capital, is famed for its critically acclaimed plays.
It is also known for paying all its members the same salary, and until recently demanded that even lead actors help out in the kitchen.
But the troupe says it has been in shock since a former volunteer last month alleged 'attempted rape' at the theatre in 2010 as part of a parliamentary inquiry examining sexual abuse in the arts.
The probe's final report – a major achievement in France's #Metoo movement – on Wednesday called on the creative industry to stamp out what it called 'endemic' mistreatment of performers.
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As part of the probe, actress Agathe Pujol, in her early thirties, told a parliamentary inquiry that a 39-year-old actor attempted to rape her in front of 'several witnesses' at a party at the Theatre du Soleil in December 2010.
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