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12/31/2009: "Theater"

At the end of the year, let's look back at the decade -- which is the same as looking back at all of history for me and "acting". I went to 52 auditions and was in 33 shows. And now I will rank the shows, in order of lasting impression of overall goodness. You know: the show, the cast, the rehearsals, the circumstances, the whatever. Basically my personal opinion of my personal experience. But lacking complete craziness and motivation -- I don't see how people make "top whatever" lists every year -- I'll just put them into 5 categories, instead of a one through thirty-three ranking. Five categories is hard enough. Within each category I'll just put them alphabetically. By definition, some of them will have to go into the bottom category, which doesn't necessarily mean those shows were worse than getting a gingivectomy -- although it's possible that some were. A gingivectomy isn't all that bad, when you get past the smell of burning gum flesh. But I digress. I'm already equivocating by only grouping them instead of declaring one of them to be #33. So I won't go any further and do something like naming the categories "Super", "Great", "Excellent", etc. I hate when everyone's a winner.

Nirvana -- Better than best; if someone could teach me how, I'd gush:
Oklahoma!, 2006, Starlight Theatre (Wilmette)

Tops -- Wish I could relive, or at least see played back:
Annie, 2004, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Babes In Toyland, 2004, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Bye Bye Birdie, 2007, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Charlotte's Web, 2007, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Disney's Beauty And The Beast, 2008, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
The Fantasticks, 2008, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
The Mousetrap, 2003, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Narnia, 2006, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater

Upper Middle:
Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel, 2004, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
The Nutcracker, 2005, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
The Odd Couple (female version), 2007, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, 2004, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Sleepy Hollow, 2006, Stage 48 (Libertyville)
The Story of Hansel & Gretel, 2005, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Take Five, 2004, Waukegan Community Players
You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, 2005, Waukegan Community Players

Lower Middle:
All In The Timing, 2006, Waukegan Community Players
And Then There Were None, 2005, Bowen Park Theatre (Waukegan)
Enchanted Sleeping Beauty, 2007, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
The Nutcracker, 2006, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
The Nutcracker, 2007, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
The Pale Pink Dragon, 2005, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Peter Pan, 2008, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Seussical: The Musical, 2009, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater

Carp -- Bottom dwellers; one of these barely missed out on the Lower Middle, but some should have provided lessons of what to avoid in the future. Who am I kidding. These are still better than a good day at work:
Brigadoon, 2008, PM&L Theatre (Antioch)
Butterflies Are Free, 2006, Waukegan Community Players
The Fantasticks, 2009, Waukegan Community Players
Marie's Nutcracker, 2008, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
A Midsummer Night's Dream, 2009, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Rapunzel, 2008, Round Lake Area Park District Community Theater
Sly Fox, 2008, PM&L Theatre (Antioch)
Sweeney Todd, 2005, PM&L Theatre (Antioch)