Volume Two begins in the post-Civil War period and traces the development of American theater up to 1945. It discusses the role of vaudeville, European influences, the rise of the Little Theater movement, changing audiences, modernism, the Federal Theater movement, major actors and the rise of the star system, and the achievements of notable playwrights. This volume places American theater in its social, economic, and political context.

Volume 3 of this authoritative and wide-ranging history of American theater examines the theater after World War II, through Broadway and beyond, as well as regional theater across the country. Contributors also analyze new directions in theater design, directing, and acting, as well as key plays and playwrights through the 1990s.