against the third. A brief connecting chant changes the scene into a tenement kitchen in which a mother and her two daughters discuss menstruation, pregnancy, and contraception until the mother suddenly becomes aware that one daughter is sexually active although unmarried—at which point the mother orders her daughter out of the house. The play ends as the three actresses, now simply unnamed women, enact a ritual that questions whether a woman should be content with an identity solely as childbearer, proud of her unique and gender-specific reproductive capability.

Well received by critics when the Open Theatre premiered it in 1965 at the Sheridan Square Playhouse on a double bill with Keep Tightly Closed in a Cool Dry Place, Calm Down Mother has become one of Terry’s most popular and most frequently anthologized plays. Like her other transformational plays, including Comings and Goings (1966) and Viet Rock (1966), it constructs a constantly changing series of stage realities, challenging both performers and audience to rethink cultural assumptions about gendered behaviors.

Leading drama scholar Helene Keyssar has referred to Megan Terry as the mother of American feminist theater, an identification whose truth is demonstrably evident in the body of dramatic work that she produced from the 1960’s to the 1990’s. Repeatedly, she has dramatized women’s issues: gender stereotyping, reproduction, patriarchal language, woman as victim, woman as hero, competition and sisterhood, the bonds and separations between mothers and daughters, and the perils of male-female relationships. Her treatment of these themes is part of her continuing focus on the societal forces that define women, the cultural icons that provide women with negative self-images, and the political barriers that prevent someone from discovering who they are and what they can be.

More important to the development of feminist drama, however, is Terry’s considerable contribution (widely acknowledged by theater historians) to the creation of transformation drama. It is this genre—a product both of the theatrical ferment of the 1960’s and of Terry’s own creative experimentation—that has done the most toward breaking down the gender stereotyping so prevalent on the American stage until the middle of the twentieth century. Transformational drama frees performers from the baggage of acceptable images and cultural models, allowing them to explore different characters, different theatrical styles, and new forms of interaction—all within the same play. The implications of such freedom have proved significant for women writers who struggled for a time to create a form of theater that would lend itself to the portrayal of women whose very lives were a multiplicity of roles, a panoply of selves. With transformational drama, women playwrights can simultaneously dramatize women’s split identities and suggest new and integrated ways of living female.

Calm Down Mother displays many of the characteristics that would later become commonplace in feminist drama. The play explores and dramatizes women’s internal states of being, showing women to themselves by valuing women’s experience through its depiction of commonplace activities and images—furnishing an apartment, washing dishes, applying makeup. Terry uses negative images in positive ways, creating accurate characterizations to shatter female stereotypes and dismantle female myths. Seemingly meek elderly ladies harbor regret for the end of their fertility; one of the call girls defiantly conceals some of the tips from her pimp because she dares to dream about taking a vacation out of New Jersey. These personal rebellions are minor, but they signal the strength of inner identities all but obliterated by culturally constructed images. When feminist theaters flowered in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, many of the plays that they produced were (like Calm Down Mother and Terry’s other transformational dramas) collagelike, multilayered constructions that used poetry, ritual, and lyrical language to portray the reality of women’s lives.

Terry, meanwhile, although not abandoning the early forms of transformational drama, has forged ahead to create two other distinct bodies of work: role-model plays, which showcase admirable women such as Simone Weil and Mother Jones as appropriate strong female icons; and political and public service drama, focusing on such issues as teenage alcoholism, dysfunctional families, and domestic violence. These new issues can still be identified as women’s concerns, but where Terry’s earlier work focused on the personal, her later work addresses public and community affairs from the woman’s point of view.

The 1960s: A Renaissance in American Experimental Theater

The transformative wave of the 1960s left an indelible mark on American society, with the theater scene feeling its profound impact. This era of cultural upheaval ignited a fervent passion for innovation within dramatic arts, which in turn wove itself intricately into the fabric of American life.

A New Frontier in Theater

While cultural shifts swept across the Western world, the theatrical transformation was uniquely American. Pioneering groups like the Living Theatre, Bread and Puppet, and Megan Terry's Open Theatre burst onto the scene in the early 1960s. These troupes, composed of young visionaries—actors, playwrights, directors, and designers—sought to challenge societal norms. Their performances tackled themes ranging from civil rights and sexual dynamics to the Vietnam War and the evolving roles of women.

Influential Figures and Their Revolutionary Works

Joseph Papp emerged as a towering figure during this time, channeling the profits from his hits—like the acclaimed Chorus Line—to support experimental ventures off-Broadway. Meanwhile, Tom O’Horgan, a former La Mama producer, created the groundbreaking rock musical Hair. Amiri Baraka, also known as LeRoi Jones, established the Black Arts Repertory Theatre in Harlem and penned the impactful play Dutchman.

Breaking Boundaries Across the Nation

Experimental theater was not confined to New York's off-Broadway stages. Across America, a wave of revolutionary and provocative plays unfolded. These productions boldly addressed themes once considered taboo, including nudity and homosexuality, criticism of high-ranking officials, and the questioning of traditional religious beliefs. Remarkably, these daring performances attracted audiences from the middle and upper classes, marking an unprecedented cultural convergence. Conversations about avant-garde ideas permeated suburban landscapes and bustling cities alike, as theater-goers from diverse backgrounds began to question societal conventions.

A Platform for Feminist Voices

Within this vibrant scene, experimental theater with a feminist focus found even greater success. Movements such as the Women’s Experimental Theatre and the Wilma Theatre took root, though feminist voices resonated far beyond these groups. Feminist-themed plays captivated audiences, and doors opened for women in roles as playwrights and directors.

La Mama: A Beacon of Innovation

Among the most influential venues of this era was La Mama Experimental Theatre. Founded by playwright Ellen Stewart in a modest basement in 1961, it exemplified the spirit of experimental communities nationwide. La Mama's mission was to cultivate and showcase new, original works from diverse talents. Their productions pushed boundaries not only through writing but also by integrating music into their narratives. Many of the era's finest playwrights, including Megan Terry, found a home at La Mama, where works like Magic Realists, Three Clowns, and Viet Rock saw the stage in 1966, followed by People v. Ranchman (1967), Changes, and Keep Tightly Closed in a Cool, Dark Place in 1968. Terry's most celebrated piece, Approaching Simone, debuted there in 1970. La Mama also provided a platform for emerging talents such as Sam Sheppard, Bruce Kessler, Tom Eyen, and Lanford Wilson.

The Trio's Ever-Changing Roles

On this stage, the spotlight never leaves the trio of characters who continuously weave through the narrative. Introduced simply as Woman One, Woman Two, and Woman Three, these three actresses embrace an intricate dance of roles and identities. As the play unfolds, their personas shift—a tapestry of mini-scenes where they transform from sisters to mother and child. In an evocative moment, one woman spends an entire scene grounded on the floor, adding layers of depth to their portrayal.

A Dynamic Exchange

The actresses navigate a fluid performance, their interactions brimming with dynamic exchanges. At times, their dialogue flows between each other, only to pivot and address the audience directly, creating a captivating intimacy. Solo monologues punctuate the performance, while group chants resonate through the room, uniting the ensemble in voice and spirit.

Transitions and Identity Shifts

The play embraces fluidity, and to guide the audience through this ever-shifting landscape, stage directions cleverly script moments when the actresses "freeze". This deliberate pause signals a metamorphosis in character, a fresh chapter in their narrative journey.

Each new scene brings with it a change not only in role but in name, both within the dialogue and in the program. "She wants ale, Sophie," Esther declares, ushering the audience into a fresh moment of character transformation.

Evocative Imagery and Sparse Props

With a minimalist set design, the actors paint vibrant images through their dialogue. In a block where Nancy visits her sister Sally's new abode, the scene comes to life through words: "Why, it’s very... it’s really very charming. It really is. Downright Greenwich Village, the clean West Side, that is." During a scene involving prostitutes, Felicia’s line, "I can’t see in that mirror," artfully conveys the act of preparation for a party, hinting at the nuances of their existence.

1960s: A new wave of theatrical innovation washes over America, birthing experimental theater that captivates and unsettles middle-class audiences. These groundbreaking performances mirror the societal anxieties of the era—the Vietnam War, civil rights struggles, and the burgeoning feminist movement.

Today: The spirit of experimental theater continues to pulse vibrantly across the United States, expanding its narrative to embrace a world of multiculturalism and championing gay rights.

1960s: The nation witnesses a tide of fervent, boisterous protests against the Vietnam War. These impassioned demonstrations draw the media spotlight and capture the attention of American politicians, as countless young men are conscripted into military service.

Today: Globally, voices of dissent rise against the U.S. and British involvement in the Iraq War, echoing the protests of decades past.

1960s: A transformative wave of feminism surges across the country as women fill the streets, wielding their newly won right to vote and demanding workplace equality and reproductive freedom.

Today: The third wave of feminism gathers force, driven by young women who seek not just education and employment but also demand equal pay and career advancement alongside their male peers.

1960s: Broadway dazzles theatergoers with a parade of musical triumphs like Hello Dolly, Funny Girl, and Fiddler on the Roof. Yet, the advent of rock music soon brands these classics as relics, ushering in electrifying rock musicals such as Hair and Oh, Calcutta!

Today: As the millennium turns, Broadway flourishes under the sway of lucrative corporate musicals like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. Yet, a revival is stirring, heralded by the return of traditional musicals with shows such as Urinetown and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

1960s: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives the green light to oral contraceptive pills, marking a societal shift as millions of women worldwide begin using them. Meanwhile, Pope Paul IV reaffirms the Catholic Church’s stance against birth control.

Today: The FDA approves a pill for abortion, igniting fierce debates and threats against Planned Parenthood facilities. President George W. Bush reinstates a "global gag rule," affecting international family planning funding, while it’s estimated that 96 percent of Catholic women in America opt for birth control.

SOURCES Betsko, Kathleen, and Rachel Koenig, Interviews with Contemporary Women Playwrights, Beech Tree Books, 1987. Keyssar, Helene, Feminist Theatre, Macmillan Publishers, 1984.

Londre, Felicia Hardison, ‘‘Megan Terry,’’ in Speaking on Stage, University of Alabama Press, 1996.

Schlueter, June, Modern American Drama: The Female Canon, Associated University Presses, 1990.

FURTHER READING

Aronson, Arnold, American Avant-Garde Theatre, Routledge, 2000. Aronson, who teaches theater at Columbia University, explores some of the more popular and more successful avant-garde theaters (such as Living Theatre, The Wooster Group, and Open Theatre) in an attempt to discover why, at the turn of the century, these theaters have declined.

Heywood, Leslie, and Jennifer Drake, eds., Third Wave Agenda: Being Feminist, Doing Feminism, University of Minnesota Press, 1997. Heywood and Drake have collected essays written by women born between 1964 and 1973 who discuss feminism and what it means to them.

Kershaw, Baz, The Politics of Performance: Radical Theatre as Cultural Intervention, Routledge, 1992. Kershaw presents a detailed analysis of radical theater and its effect on political and cultural practices. Roose-Evans, James, Experimental Theatre: From Stanislavsky to Peter Brook, Routledge, 1997.

Roose-Evans, one of Britain’s most innovative directors, explores the history of avant-garde theater in search of its influence on social and political history. Thompson, Denise, Radical Feminism Today, Sage, 2001. Thompson reexamines feminism by looking at the definitions that feminism has previously offered women and questioning the limitations that they have imposed.