TEN BEST PLAYS IN THE BURBS–2006.

TEN BEST PLAYS IN THE BURBS — 2006. We are lucky enough to be able to get into New York easily for theater, but for most people, theater consists of community, college and regional theater. I think this means that most people have access to a lot of good theater. I have a ten best list for the plays we saw in Fairfield County this year: THE RIMERS OF ELDRITCH (an early play by Lanford Wilson), COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY (a contemporary Restoration comedy), COPENHAGEN, JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, INTO THE WOODS, SLY FOX, THE GOOD DOCTOR, UNCLE VANYA, MEDEA, THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN (Synge). Of course, there more than ten plays on the list. They are all plays I wanted to see for the first time or to see again. All of the productions were good, and the best of them were as good as any I have ever seen. I should note that UNCLE VANYA, MEDEA and the Synge play were readings, something we have out here which enables theaters to experiment with new plays and to have more performances of classics. I like to think that the plays available in local theater are comparable to what is available on Broadway, but you can see that local theater has one advantage. There are more opportunities than in New York to see classic plays like JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK. A recent production of ROOM SERVICE in New York is getting favorable reviews. Apparently, it was last done in New York in 1953 and in 1970. We saw it locally in 2005.