| A thrilling little place | p. 3 |
| Something attractive at the McVicker's | p. 11 |
| The city assumed a metropolitan air | p. 19 |
| Two barrels of slippers | p. 35 |
| A glimpse of that order and beauty | p. 45 |
| By all means start your own theatre | p. 51 |
| We were a landlocked town | p. 67 |
| There actually was a national theater | p. 75 |
| Chicago is hard up for writers | p. 87 |
| It's a comedy school | p. 97 |
| It was an honor to work there | p. 119 |
| We improvised | p. 133 |
| Let all the flowers of the arts bloom | p. 145 |
| We'll have a scene | p. 161 |
| It's good writing | p. 175 |
| It was the arrogance of youth | p. 189 |
| The field is littered with bodies | p. 195 |
| We needed to tribe up | p. 219 |
| The vast Chicago theater market | p. 235 |
| It all came together with Salesman | p. 251 |
| The new theater capital of the United States | p. 265 |
| They've become institutions | p. 283 |