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Tracy Letts' Broadway debut is a big, juicy melodrama filled with family fights and funny business, not to mention the best ensemble acting in town, courtesy of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
"Radio Golf"
Carol Rosegg
The last entry in August Wilson's 10-play cycle about the black experience in 20th-century America. A worthy conclusion to one of the most ambitious theater projects in decades.
"The Seafarer''
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The menfolk in Irish playwright Conor McPherson's fable are intoxicated by demon rum and a real-life demon, too. We also were besotted by the performances and the play.
"Gypsy"
City Center
The Mount Everest of American musical theater, with Patti LuPone giving a towering performance as Mama Rose, the world's fiercest stage mother. Last summer's City Center run was too brief, but LuPone and company might resurface on Broadway in 2008.
"Dividing the Estate''
James Leynse.
Horton Foote's Texas family drama about the end of an era may seem genteel compared to "August: Osage County." Yet where money is concerned, emotions run just as high. Hallie Foote, the playwright's daughter, was hilarious as the sibling determined to make sure she got her fair share of the pie.
"Dying City"
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Christopher Shinn's haunting tale of loss, set against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, and how two very different people handle their grief. It reinforces Shinn's claim to the title "young playwright to watch."
"Edward Albee's Peter and Jerry"
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Edward Albee stitches together "The Zoo Story," written nearly 50 years ago, and "Homelife," a more newly minted effort. The two form a marvelous evening that shows the master in top form as he approaches his 80th birthday in March 2008.
"Rock 'n' Roll"
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After dissecting 19th-century Russian intellectuals last season, Tom Stoppard set his considerable sights on recent Czech history. With exceptional performances by Rufus Sewell (right), Brian Cox (left) and Sinead Cusack (not shown).
"The Receptionist''
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The fall season's most unnerving production as playwright Adam Bock keeps the audience off-kilter but never less than entertained in this dark comedy of mystifying corporate intrigue. In the title role, Jayne Houdyshell is a delight.
"Xanadu''
Paul Kolnik
You think "silly" is easy to do? This goofy, disco-inspired diversion based on a flop 1980s movie musical makes it highly entertaining. You can't see Shakespeare or Stoppard every night.
