First published 1888-1891, Seilhamer's work remains the most comprehensive history of theater in America right up to the eve of the nineteenth century. Exhaustive in coverage, the work treats in detail many little-known companies and actors, and there is a great deal of material on the surprisingly vibrant American theater of the revolutionary period. It is the standard study of the pre-Revolutionary drama in America. This title is cited and recommended by Books for College Libraries and Guide to the Study of the United States of America.