1. August: Osage County (2007, dir. by Anna Shapiro)
No other play this decade had the emotional scope of this tartly funny masterpiece
2. Doubt (2005, dir. by Doug Hughes)
John Patrick Stanley's intensely engaging play with a star turn performance by Cherry Jones
3. Big River (2003 revival, dir. by Jeff Calhoon)
Deaf West Theater created a beautiful and moving new way to experience a musical - in sign and song
4. Metamorphoses (2001, dir by Mary Zimmerman)
Seeing this shortly after 9/11 in NYC was beyond moving; it lit the way to a new level of hope and understanding
5. The Crucible (2002 revival, dir. by Richard Eyre)
Liam Neeson and Laura Linney were incredible in this perfect production of one of my all-time favorite plays
6. Next To Normal (2009, dir. by Michael Grief)
At the end of the decade, provided proof that the musical is not dead, but can tackle serious issues in a moving way
7. Light In The Piazza (2005, dir, by Bartlett Sher)
Lincoln Center gave this a sterling production, highlighted by a life changing performance by Victoria Clark
8. 110 In The Shade (2007 revival, dir. by Lonny Price)
Sheer musical delight provided by a racially mixed cast (headed by the amazing Audra McDonald) that proved the case for color-blind casting
9. Into The Woods (2002 revival, dir. by James Lapine)
Another post 9/11 production that helped provide meaning and understanding to a battered world
10. Hairspray (2002, dir. by Jack O'Brien)
The traditional musical in all its glitzy and fun glory that succeeds in its aim- provide a fun escape to its audience
Honorable Mention: Proof (2001 dir. by Daniel Sullivan); Frozen (2004 dir. by Doug Hughes); Pillowman (2005 dir by John Crowley); Sweeney Todd (2006 revival dir. by John Doyle); South Pacific (2008 revival dir. by Bartlett Sher); Our Town (2009 revival dir. by David Cromer)
5 BEST THEATER TRENDS OF THE DECADE
1. Internet ticketing & internet theater chat boards
2. Continued survival of the musical form
3. Growth of regional theaters and non-profits, as proven by their role in nearly every work listed above as the decade's best (although I greatly fear what the retrenchment caused by the bad economy means for the next decade of theater)
4. Times Square "steps" above TKTS booth creating a public space devoted to theater
5. Digital production enables every musical score to be released on CD for posterity
5 WORST THEATER TRENDS OF THE DECADE
1. Cell phones ringing during performances (and sometimes answered mid-performance)
2. Musicals that parody the form
3. The fact that "Wicked" is the most successful show of the decade
4. Need to cast movie stars to have a successful Broadway run
5. Every musical score gets released on CD (obviously this trend leaves me with mixed feelings), including those that would be best proceeding silently into oblivion
