A significant contribution to the yet emergent field of performance criticism.... A must-read book for anyone who ever teaches... Modern Drama.(Essays in Theatre/Études thétrales) Cima illustrates how the increasing authority of playwrights in the modern theatre has eclipsed the artistic contributions of actors in general and female actors in particular. While arguments regarding formalized canon abound, this topic is given freshness and lucidity in Cima's work.(Theatre Studies) This book will be useful to a wide readership, including those who are only minimally conversant with feminist theory. It is formative reading for actors and directors looking for new ways to work.... The female actor comes into the world of these plays as someone armed with the kind of historical and biographical grounding that makes possible a more equalized and more productive partnership.(Theatre Survey)