ROLE-PLAYING IS A VALUABLE TECHNIQUE FOR WORKING WITH DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS CONGENIAL WITH THE LOW-INCOME PERSON'S STYLE. ROLE-PLAYING ALLOWS THE PRACTITIONER TO REDUCE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE DISADVANTAGED, IT PERMITS MORE LEARNING ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THE LOW-INCOME PERSON FROM THE "INSIDE," AND IT IS AN EXCELLENT TECHNIQUE FOR DEVELOPING VERBAL POWER IN THE EDUCATIONALLY DEPRIVED PERSON. PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME TEND TO WORK OUT MENTAL PROBLEMS BEST WHEN THEY CAN DO THINGS PHYSICALLY. ROLE-PLAYING APPEARS SUITED TO THIS PHYSICAL, ACTION-CENTERED, MOTOR STYLE. ROLE-PLAYING BREAKS THE "OFFICE BARRIER" BY CREATING A SETTING IN WHICH THE THERAPIST AND THE LOW-INCOME CLIENT ARE ON AN EQUAL FOOTING IN TERMS OF STYLE. SOME ILLUSTRATIONS OF ROLE-PLAYING ARE GIVEN. ONE SIMULATES THE TEACHING OF ACADEMIC MATERIAL TO NONPROFESSIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL. ANOTHER HELPS TO DEVELOP TEACHER STYLES FOR WORKING WITH THE DEPRIVED. ROLE-PLAYING SHOULD BE NONTHEATRICAL, WITH A VERY SIMPLE, DIRECT APPROACH. THE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE WORKED WITH IN THIS STUDY PREFERRED AN INFORMAL SETTING, GROUPS OF NO MORE THAN 10 PEOPLE, AND LITTLE INTRODUCTORY DIDACTIC MATERIAL. ROLE-PLAYING AND THE MIDDLE CLASS ARE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED. DIFFERENCES IN APPROACH WHICH WOULD APPEAL TO THE MIDDLE CLASS ARE POINTED OUT. THE MIDDLE CLASS PERSON MAY FEEL THAT ROLE-PLAYING IS AN IN-GROUP GIMMICK, LACKING IN DIGNITY AND STATUS, THEREFORE THE VARIOUS PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC FUNCTIONS OF ROLE-PLAYING, SUCH AS CATHARSIS, SUPPORT, AND PROBLEM OBJECTIFICATION SHOULD BE MADE EXPLICIT.