Nightwood Theatre is the longest-running and most influential feminist theatre company in Canada. Since 1979, the company has produced works by Canadian women, providing new opportunities for women theatre artists. It has also been the “home company” for some of the biggest names in Canadian theatre, such as Ann-Marie MacDonald.In Nightwood Theatre, Scott describes the company’s journey toward defining itself as a feminist theatre establishment, highlighting its artistic leadership based on its relevance to diverse communities of women. She also traces Nightwood’s relationship with the media and places the theatre in an international context by comparing its history to that of like companies in the U.K. and the U.S.

Shelley Scott is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts at the University of Lethbridge. She is President of the Canadian Association for Theatre Research and has published in Canadian Theatre Review, Modern Drama, Theatre Research in Canada, and the recent monograph The Violent Woman as a New Theatrical Character Type: Cases from Canadian Drama.

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“Scott demonstrates that feminism is neither static nor monolithic, and that Nightwood’s identity and achievements have been the result of the company’s ability to respond to developments in feminist theory and embrace its pluralism. Scott’s study inspires newer scholars to continue the work of the previous generation ... more projects like this need to be undertaken to document and preserve our growing feminist theatre tradition.”