The focus on nonnormative identities (i.e. gay, black, disabled, woman) in the late 20th century destabilized the uniformity of the normative (i.e. straight, white, male, abled) body. By focusing on nonnormative individuals, theorists and playwrights began to understand the body as porous and unruly rather than fixed and self-contained. Building on the work of black studies, feminist and queer theories of the body, scholars in environmental studies, transgender studies, and disability studies developed theories of the body as a part of an ecology rather than a singular closed-off entity. This section considers how humans become intertwined with other organisms and systems to produce a linked fate. In burgeoning theatre theories of the body, the interconnected nature of human life is emphasized whether with other humans, different species or the planet we share. Coming to terms with how the human body functions as a porous organism animates many new theoretical conversations in the field.