2006 Theater Review

Honorable Mention: COAST OF UTOPIA and COMPANY. Stoppard's massive trilogy is a bit too unbalanced to judge without seeing Salvage, and Company has the incredibly talented Raul Esparza going for it, but little else. For shows given so much money and attention, they don't impress me as much as the underdogs. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all, and while the visual and intellectual depth of Utopia is a real marvel, these next ten shows were just the ticket, too.

10. THE GREAT CONJURER
There aren't many literary plays out there, so the fact that one modeled after Kafka, The Great Conjurer, is not only comprehensive and intelligible but entertaining to boot, filled with clever direction and believable acting, makes it worth seeing.

9. THE THUGS
The creepiest drama ever set in an office, Adam Bock's The Thugs is memorable not just for its brilliant characters, tight plotting, and evasive scenes, but also for its too-real set.

8. BONE PORTRAITS
An "electric" production about the birth of the X-ray, full of Gothic vaudeville and fanciful staging, Bone Portraits was a thrilling exhibition of theatrical technique.

7. EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL
Admittedly goofy, but this campy off-Broadway musical was the most fun I'd had at a musical since Avenue Q, and I would bleed--literally bleed--for this surprisingly slick and diverse soundtrack.

6. LOVE, A TRAGIC ETUDE
A jolting breath of fresh air, Love, a Tragic Etude, was a frightening reminder of how visceral theater can be, and how even the most absolutely madcap happenings can make for a terrific evening.

5. MARCO MILLION$
Eugene O'Neill doesn't make me laugh, but Waterwell's musical adaptation of his lesser-known play, Marco Million$ was not just a quirky assault on capitalism, but a triumphant ode to those often-overlooked arts: slapstick, vaudeville, and cabaret.

4. WELL
Why did one of the best-produced, most innovative, snarkily witty, madcap shows remain ignored by the masses? Well, perhaps the sucker-punch of the drama under all that meta-comedy confused 'em. I still think Lisa Kron's Well is an all-too rare show: i.e., excellent.

3. NOT CLOWN
There are few things more depressing than watching clowns being tortured by an oppressive government. Succeeding not just as parable, but as physical tragedy, Not Clown was eerily entertaining.

2. THE CATARACT and STANLEY (2006)
Lisa D'Amour proved herself to be a tight playwright in The Cataract, a period piece that broached the Brokeback topic through serious metaphor and deftly executed blocking. Then she came back to write and direct her brother in a one-man show, Stanley (2006), using voice, body, and camera work to tell a fragmented tale of loss. Stunning works.

1. DEAD CITY
A true gem of theater, written by the infinitely talented and poetic Sheila Callaghan, this show was not only the first to fully utilize the multimedia offerings of the 3LD performance space, but it was the most well-rounded show of the season, from cast to script to direction.