When Franca Rame died on May 29, 2013 such was her renown as a stage performer, playwright, and left-wing activist that obituaries appeared in newspapers throughout the world, including The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Times (London). A central force in cabaret theatre, the cooperative theatre movement, and feminist theatre in Italy, she authored works that were translated into many languages. She collaborated closely with the actor-playwright Dario Fo throughout their almost sixty-year marriage.