Between 1969 and 1986 there was an explosion of feminist theater activity in the United States. For the first time in history women had an enormous collective impact on theater. No longer content with portraying women's experiences created from a male imagination and occupying only a few isolated positions in theater organizations, women, inspired by the growing feminist movement, formed theater groups across the country that were heterogenous in size, repertory, organization and politics. Feminist Theaters in the USA is a fresh, informative portrait of this key era in feminist and theater history.

Charlotte Canning interviews over thirty women who took part in the dynamic feminist theater of the 1970s and 1980s. They provide first-hand accounts of the excitement, struggles and innovations which formed their experience. Feminist Theaters in the USA explores the history of these groups and their formation, discussing the politics and methods which definedand shaped their work. The book also considers the productions they brought to the stage, and their reception from critics and audiences. Merging these elements, Canning constructs a compelling combination of historical survey, critique and celebration.