ABSTRACT
This article considers Ortega y Gasset's Idea del teatro (1946), the Spanish philosopher's little-known study of the nature and origins of theatre. It sets out to understand why Ortega believes Western theatre to be in a state of crisis and to discover how, in his eyes, its health can be restored. This involves placing the work in the context of Ortega's philosophical outlook, especially his idea that human beings need periodically to escape from the reality of their everyday lives into a world of imagination and ‘unreality’. In the light of such ideas, an attempt is made to clarify Ortega's understanding of the true function and mission of theatre.
