Top Five of Year Two

I don't know if I saw enough theater this year to justify writing a top five, but I'll give it a try anyway. I saw a disproportionate amount of Broadway theater this year, but so much of it was good. I mean, really good. But, I didn't see enough theater. So, let's lift a glass to even more theater going this year.

1. Frost Nixon
I walked out of Frost Nixon and I just couldn't get out of my head the phrase, "Now, that was good theater." It just was good theater. I was in the back row and I felt like I was on stage somehow, I think it's because all of my attention was so captivated by the action down below. So, bravo...loved it. It was the one to beat all year and it never did.

2. Iphigenia 2.0
This just worked on so many levels and everything on stage served the story and elevated the story and the modern, stylized production. It was "hip" and edgy, old and new, delightful and scary and it definitely worked. Call me a new Signature Theater fan and I'll be watching for more Charles Mee.

3. Talk Radio
How can you not love watching a master at work, and Liev Schreiber is just so obviously a master of his craft. He disappears in the skin of his character. A one-man force on the stage, it was do-not-miss theater. The only reason that it didn't make my number one is because Schreiber only had/took the opportunity to play off himself (well within character) and it was a one-man steal of the show. It was theater, but it was also the thunder of one man on the edge of a breakdown.

4. Journey's End
World War I will never be the most popular topic. It will never fill the house in the same way Hairspray or Wicked will. But, this was amazing and horrific. And, very good theater. If you missed it because you couldn't be bothered, let me say--you missed something.

5. It's a tie: an oak tree or A Spanish Play
Both of these were more experimental in nature. And, I struggled with them both and they stayed with me for weeks after I saw them. And, I like that. I want more like it. Critically, they had a hard time, A Spanish Play in particular. But, they were both enjoyable and more than that, interesting.