This is a lecture by Piergiorgio Giacchè at the 3rd International Conference on Theatre Anthropology, "Odin Teatret and Theatre Anthropology in Greece", 17 and 18 March 2023. The conference was organised by: Theatre Laboratory of Drama and Speech Department of Theatre Studies; Co-organisers: Centre of Theatre Anthropology, Heraklion-Crete, Fondazione Barba Varley, University of Patras, Science and Technology Museum. In his speech, Giacchè traces a history of the relationship between theatre and anthropology, calling into question, in addition to those of Barba, the theoretical contributions of important scholars such as Goffman, Turner and Schechner.