Young actresses’ experiences of work in the Italian theatrical sector

From the lifting of the ban on women from theatrical plays in mid-1600s England to the communicative impact of the #MeToo campaign, actresses’ presence on the stage has always had the capacity to profoundly question and shrink societal norms related to gender and cultural space. Using a qualitative methodology, the paper analyses young actresses’ experiences of work in the Italian performing arts’ sector, considering aesthetic and emotional aspects related to theatre work. The occupational environment, described through the sector’s specific datasets and surveys, appears to be characterised by marked power asymmetries in terms of age and gender which, in turn, is embedded in young actresses’ everyday bodily and emotional experiences of work.