For starting places for sources to be used in written reports, additional
readings, or for the final project, Wilmeth, Variety Entertainment And
Outdoor Amusements 
and my earlier book, American
And English Popular Entertainment: A Guide To Information Sources
(Gale Research, 1980) are useful. Both are out of print or stock, so copies
will be available in Becker on reserve. They are also available in Reference
in the Rock.
More recent sources are frequently cited in the
syllabus. The Cambridge Guide To American Theatre, a
useful reference work to own, includes many useful entries and up-to-date
book sources. Far more extensive and up-to-date lists can be found in
"Popular Entertainment: A Checklist of Representative Books Published
Primarily in the United States Since 1977.” Theatre History
Studies 11 (1991): 151-65 and "Popular Entertainment: A New
Checklist of Representative Books Published Primarily in the United States
Since 1990.” Theatre History Studies 18 (1998):
147-161.These were compiled to complement sources in the earlier
publications.
Since the class enrollment is relatively small, I've not placed books on reserve in the Rock. If this becomes a problem, let me know.
