This book provides a vital new history of feminist performance through an ecological lens. It argues that from the 1960s to the present, artists have used performance to challenge the linked oppression of women and nature. Proposing 'composting' as a new method for writing feminist history, the study moves beyond linear narratives to trace regenerative connections between generations of practitioners. It provides sustained analysis of genres from land art to postdramatic theatre, re-evaluating the work of canonical figures while examining how contemporary artists continue to address these urgent themes. By placing ecofeminism in dialogue with feminist new materialism, queer ecology, and transecological thought, this study demonstrates how performance has been a crucial site for imagining more just and sustainable futures in an age of environmental crisis.
By:
Cara Berger
Imprint: Manchester University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 138mm,
Spine: 21mm
Weight: 538g
ISBN: 9781526152473
ISBN 10: 1526152479
Series: Women, Theatre and Performance
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 19 May 2026
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgments Introduction: Composting feminist performance histories 1 The planet placed in the feminine: The ecofeminist performances of Judy Chicago, Ana Mendieta, Mierle Laderman Ukeles and Agnes Denes 2 Wounded earth: Dark feminist ecologies in performances by Rachel Rosenthal and Rebecca Belmore 3 Erotic earth: The queer ecologies of Carolee Schneemann, Claire Cunningham, and Annie Sprinkle & Beth Stephens 4 The new materialist turn and postdramatic theatre: Diffractive dramaturgies in the works of Sasha Waltz, Mette Ingvartsen and Pamela Z 5 Figuring trans*human ecofeminism with Ana Vaz and Tosh Basco Conclusion: preparing the ground for ecofeminist futures Bibliography Index -- .
Cara Berger is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance at the University of Manchester
