The Top Five of Year One

This week marks my one year anniversary of disciplined theater going. To celebrate I am compiling a list or two. These are the plays I personally liked the best last year. These are personality-based and are probably not scientifically the best of what I saw.

I saw just under half of the plays/musicals that opened on Broadway last year. Surprisingly, my top five were not Broadway shows. I should probably try and remember that when I choose what I see. At any rate, in these instances greater risk resulted in even greater rewards. I am not pulling out the programs, so this reliant on memory alone. Please bear with any mistakes.

In order of preference:

1. Defiance
Manhattan Theater Club
City Center Stage I

I stand alone, perhaps in all the world, for enjoying Defiance more than Doubt. John Patrick Shanley is a great playwright, no doubt, no pun intended. I went to seminary. I should have swooned over Doubt, and I might grow into it. But, I found it sparingly simplistic and beautiful. Defiance I found textured and meaty. I loved the issues of authority, race, gender, obedience just to name a few. It was a feast of a night of theater that fed me for weeks. It also convinced that Shanley can be enjoyed in written form as much as on the stage. He is one of the best playwrights writing today. In any form, in any theater, never deny yourself a chance to see one of his plays. That's my rule, although I broke it when that refrigerator play came up late in the year. I was just too busy. I'll do better next time.

2. Stuff Happens
The Public Theater

David Hare wrote this one. And, the writing was impeccable. The production worked, too. I didn't change my mind about the war in Iraq, but it certainly added fuel to the fire. There is a monologue at the end by an Iraqi citizen that is one of the greatest accusations to Americans in any form: newspaper, magazine, book or theater. He asks the audience what the Iraqis have done wrong. He says that all of this is a result of what they didn't do. They were somewhat complacent and never stood up to their dictator. Let's just say--that can strike a chord. I won't say anymore, lest I find myself on a governmental watch list. It also made me really thankful for Donald Rumsfeld's retirement/resignation.

3. Sisters
59E59

This theater is great because it is clean and hip. I have seen some of the worst and the best and all manner of in-between over the past year there. This was obviously one of the best. The actress Anna Manahan was brilliant. It was one of the most intimate nights of theater I've had--sweet, perfect and moving. The surprise ending was wonderful in this tale of one Mary and one Martha, sisters who were cut from the same cloth but only found a way apart as the years went by. I still get a good feeling just thinking about it.

4. The Wooden Breeks
The Lucille Lortel Theater

If you google this, you'll find I put myself up for ridicule and shame for loving this play--Irish accents and all. I don't think I read one glowing review before or after I saw it. For me, it was a personally timely message I won't get into the background for. But, it was about letting go of old injuries. It was about sometimes saying things that don't have closure are finished. It may have been an exhaustive treatment of the subject, but I had the patience and I needed to hear it. I liked this small theater. The cast was great. And, I definitely stand alone again here, but the costumes were brilliant. The costumes embodied the brooding nature of the people. Where each character had gotten stuck was literally written all over them. They were beautiful. If you can find pictures on Google of these gems, all power to you.

5. The Stone Carver
The Soho Playhouse

The summer was only decent in theater offerings. We saw Faith Healer which I have no complaints about. I'm sorry it didn't make it in the top five, but it gets an honorable mention. We saw a bunch of other mediocre offerings. But, this play in a tight setting about eminent domain was satisfying, sad, sweet, entertaining and thought provoking. It was a refreshing offering in a fairly dry, hot summer season. And, I think if you missed it you really missed something.