Abstract

This article provides an historical overview of the so-called «theatre of crisis», or «social theatre», in Italy. Starting from the 1960s and 1970s, when it extended its scope to enter mental health institutions, factories, suburbs and deprived areas, drama work engaged with under-represented audiences with a view to restoring their right to expression and creativity. The 1990s have witnessed a significant growth of such experiences, while the dilemma between theatre's intrinsic and therapeutic value gained momentum. Today, the professional development of previously marginalised individuals for whom theatre is no longer an extraordinary, but rather an integrated and on-going experience, requires us to reconsider the artistic value as well as the «inclusive» potential of drama work, whenever it is truly practised as an opportunity for training and expression.