百老汇戏剧中心曾在美国戏剧发展史上占有举足轻重的地位,但到了80年代,它的垄断地位已是摇摇欲坠了。而非赢利戏剧组织在80年代特别活跃,外百老汇和外外百老汇上演的作品获戏剧奖或入选重要戏剧集的作品日益增多。目前美国约有近400家这类戏剧组织,1986年由非赢利剧院主办的演出周比所有各种形式商业剧院的演出周总和还要多,其影响和作用已占主导地位,并促使一批地方剧作家迅速崛起。80年代美国戏剧的孤立主义倾向受到较大冲击,首先表现在普遍欢迎外国剧团演出和外国戏剧家来访上。由于多种文化影响,黑人戏剧、西裔戏剧、亚裔戏剧等少数族裔戏剧发展迅速,为美国戏剧增添了异彩。而女权主义运动又造就了一批颇有名气的女剧作家和表现女权运动的戏剧。80年代美国戏剧回头写实的趋势是对20世纪中期备种现代 The Broadway Theater Center played a decisive role in the history of American theater, but by the 1980s its monopoly was crumbling. Not-for-profit dramas were particularly active in the 1980s, with works by Broadway and Broadway on and off being awarded drama awards or included in major episodes. At present, there are about 400 such theater organizations in the United States. In 1986, the number of weeks hosted by the non-profit theater was more than that of the weekly performances of all kinds of commercial theaters. Its influence and role have dominates and prompted a number of Local dramatists rapidly rise. The isolationist tendencies of American theater in the 1980s were greatly affected. First, they generally welcomed the performances of foreign troupes and foreign dramatists. Due to various cultural influences, ethnic minorities dramas such as black drama, Hispanic drama and Asian drama have developed rapidly and have added splendor to American drama. The feminist movement has created a number of famous female playwright and performance feminist drama. The real trend in American theater back in the 1980s was to modernize the mid-20th century