Solo performance has had a somewhat different history in Latin America than in the U.S. and Europe. The Cuban revolution in 1959 had promoted the ethos of collectivity, a concept that organized everything from neighborhoods to theatre groups. Many of Latin America's most important artists of the period forged collectives to continue their artistic and political work in the face of criminal politics. Boal worked with other important artists in the Arena Theatre, Buenaventura started T.E.C in Colombia, Yuyachkani began working in Peru, and so on. It went against the thinking of the times to stage solo work. The political instrumentality of performance of this period made it difficult for theatre practitioners and artists who went into exile to continue their work. This political context leads to somewhat "different" kind of political performance - even when its "solo" - than we associate with the best U.S. solo performers - Peggy Shaw, Holly Hughes, Karen Finley, John Leguiziamo, Marga Gomez, Carmelita Tropicana, Deb Margolin, Spalding Gray, to name a few around specific "issues." But artists such as Denise Stoklos (Brazil), Diamela Eltit (Chile), Teresa Ralli (Peru) and Tania Bruguera (Cuba) have produced extraordinary solo performance that stresses their connectedness to the pressing social and political movements of their times. For them, solo does not mean "alone."