"This collection provides fresh perspectives on the development of visions of both America and "America" - that is, the actual community and the constructed concept - on a variety of theatrical stages. It explores the role of theater in the construction of American identity, highlighting the tension between the desire to categorize American identity and the realization that such categorical uniformity may neither be desirable nor possible."--BOOK JACKET.

"Throughout, Performing America addresses questions of marginality and community, exclusion and inclusion, colonialism and imperialism, heterogeneity and homogeneity, conflict and negotiation, repression and opportunity, failure and success, and above all, the relationship of American stages at large. Due to the comprehensiveness of its content, this book will appeal to readers of a wide range of disciplines, including history, American culture, gender studies, and theater studies."--BOOK JACKET.