Interviewed by Claudio Coloberti in 2007, the Italian scholar Franco Ruffini narrates his collaboration with Barba and his participation in the first sessions of ISTA (Bonn 1980, Volterra 1981, Salento 1987). In a fertile context of scientific and artistic inves- tigation, Ruffini developed his interests in theatre through a variety of disciplines, in contact with different interlocutors, both scholars and practitioners. ISTA sessions made possible a broader investigation on acting techniques and were the context to explore a living learning process, exercising attention, observation and dialectical reflection.