In Gutter and Stars, Leah Hager Cohen answers these questions as she takes us behind the scenes of the Arlington Friends of Drama, the fourth-oldest of the forty-odd community theaters in the greater Boston area. Cohen portrays the life of the theater through the experiences of a small group of individuals working on the controversial play "M. Butterfly". Covering all aspects of production, including auditions, rehearsals, cast parties, board meetings, etc. as well as her own personal accounts in theater, Cohen provides an intimate look at theater as rarely seen by the general public. But more than a portrait of individuals and more than a portrait of a particular theater, Cohen delves into the meaning and process of community. She explores the community theater as a grossly overlooked and a uniquely compelling social institution - one in which to experiment and learn about how societies work, how people relate, how jobs get accomplished, how abilities can be used and needs met within a given community.