Inspired by a series of debates at the Conference of Women Theatre Directors and Administrators, the articles in this issue record the history of women in the theatre and honour their accomplishments. It also aims to establish role models for women and enrich creativity in this domain.

Introduction, Julia Pascal; Chapter 1 Shakespeare's Cleopatra, the Male Gaze, and Madonna: Performance Dilemmas, Elizabeth Schafer; Chapter 2 Uncovering Heroines: Some Theatrical Perspectives on the French Revolution, Celita Lamar; Chapter 3 Dialogues of the Heart: Norodom Sihanouk and Mahatma Ghandi as Portrayed by Hélène Cixous, Celita Lamar; Chapter 4 On Creativity and Anger, Julia Pascal; Chapter 5 Revolution and Poetry in Feyder's Le Chant du retour, Patricia Lancaster; Chapter 6 Laughing All the Way to the Ghetto: Lesbian Farce, Jackie Clune; Chapter 7 Women, Theatre, and Territory: The Omaha Magic Theatre and the Boundaries of Theatrical Performance, Susan Lynn Carlson; Chapter 8 Songs of the Twentieth Century: The Plays of Ludmila Petrushevskaya, Béatrice Picon-Vallin, Catherine Dale; Chapter 9 Bloody Hard Work: Women in Nontraditional Work in Theatre, Peta Tait; Chapter 10 Mother Tongue: Colonized Bodies and Performing Cultures, Susan Bennett; Chapter 11 Women's Theatre in Italy, Susan Bassnett; Chapter 12 Demeter Beneath the Sand, SERENA SARTORI, RENATA COLUCCINI, TEATRO COOPERATIVO DEL SOLE;