Every year we make a list of the productions that were the most compelling and convincing.  While this is a subjective evaluation, the productions and actors mentioned managed to leave something of themselves in back of the mind - something that kept digging - sometimes even nagging and their message refused to go away.  Sometimes the theatre experience was fun, at other times it was sad or even frightening, but it was always presented with the same purpose . . . to entertain, to inform, to instruct.  Because one cannot judge which one succeeded best, we have long ago established a practice of listing the names alphabetically.  One thing is sure; from A to Z these were the ones that left their mark.

Top Ten Productions of the Year

1.          Back of The Throat – Pasadena Playhouse, Balcony Theatre – Furious Theatre Company

2.          Eclipsed – Theatre Banshee

3.          Everyman for Himself – Unknown Theatre - Furious Theatre

4.          Fences – Pasadena Playhouse

5.          No Exit – American Academy of Dramatic Arts – Accent Theatre Company

6.          Sister Act -   Pasadena Playhouse

7.          Sweeney Todd – East West Players

8.          Talk Radio – Theatre 68 - The Gangbusters Theatre Company

9.          The Last Days of Tarquinz – Inside the Ford – Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble

10.      The Two and Only – The Colony Theatre

Top Ten Actors

1.          Ronald M. Banks – Sweeney Todd – East West Players

2.          Laurence Fishburne – Fences – Pasadena Playhouse

3.          Michael Gallagher – Everyman for Himself – Furious Theatre

4.          Dan Harper – Dockers – Theatre Banshee

5.          Charles Howerton - Slow Dance on a Killing Ground – Athena Theatre

6.          Jay Johnson – The Two and Only – Colony Theatre

7.          Chris Levatino – Talk Radio – The Gangbusters Theatre Company

8.          Sam Lovett – Vincent – The Globe Theatre

9.          Ammar Mahmood - Back of The Throat – Furious Theatre

10.      Salvator Xuereb - No Exit - American Academy of Dramatic Arts

Top Ten Actresses

1.          Leslie Baldwin  - Eclipsed – Banshee Theatre

2.          Angela Bassett – Fences – Pasadena Playhouse

3.          Leslie Cohen – Bluebonnet Court – Hudson Mainstage Theatre

4.          Bridget Hanley – The Lion in Winter – Theatre West

5.          Mariette Hartley – The ‘60’s - The Pacific Resident Theatre

6.          Lissa Layng – Joanna’s Husband & David’s Wife – Fremont Centre Theatre

7.          Dina Marrone – The Italian in Me – Globe Theatre

8.          Nia Orms – Please Take a Number – The Lounge Theatre

9.          Veronique Ory – Wait Until Dark – Athena Theatre

10.      Sybil Walker – Beneath Rippling Water – Company of Angels

Top Ensemble Productions

1. 3 Blacque Chix: Herotique-AAHH...!!! – Fremont Centre Theatre

2. Batboy The Musical – Hudson Mainstage

3. One Way Ticket To Hell – Lee Strasberg Creative Center

4. Rossetti’s Circle -  The Ruby Theatre, at the Complex

5. The Playground – Deaf West Theatre – An 11:11 Experiment

6. The Tell Tale Heart – Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre

Special Mention

1. The Fox Lantern – Puppet Theatre - The Triumvirate Pi Theatre Company

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