A survey of community-based performance in the US from its roots, to its flourishing during the 1960s, to present-day popular culture. It provides descriptions of performances and processes, first-person stories, and analysis and shows how ritualism reinforces community identification while aestheticism enables locals to transgress cultural norms.

She shows how the ritual side of these endeavors reinforces a sense of community identification while the aesthetic side enables local residents to transgress cultural norms, to question group habits, and to incorporate a level of craft that makes the work accessible to individuals beyond any one community. The book concludes by exploring how community-based performance transcends even national boundaries, connecting the local United States with international theater and cultural movements.