Preface.- SECTION I: UN-AMERICAN ORIGINS (1714-1798).- Transatlantic Touchstone: Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal (1777).- Robert Hunter, Androboros (1714).- Royal Tyler, The Contrast (1787).- William Dunlap, André (1798).- Drama in Dialogue: The Contrast and André.- SECTION II: THE RISE OF MELODRAMA (1798-1870).
- Transatlantic Touchstone: René-Charles de Pixérécourt, Coelina, or the Child of Mystery (1800).- James Nelson Barker, The Indian Princess (1808).- John August Stone, Metamora, or the Last of the Wampanoags (1829).- Drama in Dialogue: The Indian Princess and Metamora.- William Henry Smith, The Drunkard (1844).- Anna Cora Mowatt, (1845).- Thomas L. Aiken, Uncle Tom''s Cabin (1852).
- Dion Boucicault, The Octoroon (1859).- Drama in Dialogue: Uncle Tom''s Cabin and The Octoroon.- SECTION III: AN EXPLOSION OF ENTERTAINMENTS - AND THE EMERGENCE OF REALISM (1870-1916).- Transatlantic Touchstone: Henrik Ibsen, A Doll''s House (1879).- Sam T. Jack, Beauty in Dreamland, or The Pearls of the Orient (1889).- James A. Herne, Margaret Fleming (1890).
- Eugene Walter, The Easiest Way (1908).- Drama in Dialogue: Margaret Fleming and The Easiest Way.- SECTION IV: O''NEILL, HIS COHORT, AND THE LEGITIMATE STAGE BETWEEN THE WARS (1916-1945).- Transatlantic Touchstone: Georg Kaiser, From Morn Til Midnight (1912, 1917).- Susan Glaspell, Trifles (1916).- Elmer Rice, The Adding Machine (1923).- Sophie Treadwell, Machinal (1928).- Drama in Dialogue: The Adding Machine and Machinal.
- Lillian Hellman, The Children''s Hour (1934).- Clifford Odets, Waiting for Lefty (1935).- Thornton Wilder, A Streetcar Named Desire (1947).- Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman (1949).- William Inge, Come Back, Little Sheba (1950).- Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun (1959).- Drama in Dialogue: Death of a Salesman and A Raisin in the Sun.- SECTION VI: ALBEE, OTHERS, AND THE AMERICAN ABSURDIST TRADITION (1959-1980).
- Transatlantic Touchstone: Samuel Beckett, Endgame (1957).- Edward Albee, Zoo Story (1959).- Amiri Baraka, Dutchman (1964).- Drama in Dialogue: Zoo Story and Dutchman.- John Guare, House of Blue Leaves (1971).- Maria Irene Fornés, Fefu and her Friends (1977).- Sam Shepard, Buried Child (1978).- Drama in Dialogue: House of Blue Leaves and Buried Child.
- SECTION VII: DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE (1980-present).- Transatlantic Touchstone: Athol Fugard, Blood Knot (1961).- David Henry Hwang, FOB (1981).- William S. Yellow Robe, Jr., The Independence of Eddie Rose (1986).- August Wilson, Fences (1987).- Drama in Dialogue: Death of a Salesman and Fences.
- David Mamet, Oleanna (1992).- Tony Kushner, Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes (1993).- Paula Vogel, How I Learned to Drive (1997).- Suzan Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog (2001).- Drama in Dialogue: Angels in America and Topdog/Underdog.- Nilo Cruz, Anna in the Tropics (2002).- Neil Labute, Fat Pig (2004).- Drama in Dialogue Oleanna and Fat Pig.
- John Patrick Shanley, Doubt (2004).- Sarah Ruhl, Dead Man''s Cell Phone> (2007).- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton (2015).