Audience – Ontroerend Goed, Vooruit, St. George’s West
-By far one of the most cathartic and spectacular audience experiences I’ve ever had. At one point the actors attempted to turn the entire audience against one young girl by chanting, “Spread your legs!” On my way home I was so nauseous I started laughing just to release my still pent up emotions from the night.

Anything Goes, Cole Porter, Roundabout
-A guilty pleasure. Sutton Foster, Joel Grey, and some of Cole Porter’s most famous show-stopping song-and-dance numbers. And it ends on a triple wedding – the cliché is sublime.

Book of Mormon, Lopez, Parker & Stone, Eugene O’Neill Theatre
-Where Anything Goes gets you on nostalgia, Mormon reaffirms your faith in the theater. Who knew that Aids, baby-fucking, and assault rifles were going to be Broadway gold? If you almost peed yourself during Avenue Q… bring a catheter for Mormon.

Civilization (all you can eat), Jason Grote, HERE Arts Center
-Grote is one of the best playwrights out there. Hands down. And it won’t be long until everyone knows his name. Till then I plan on relishing in $20 tickets to some of the best plays you’ll ever see. His insight and humor are unparalleled. Find him now, because pretty soon he’ll be out of your price-range. Did I mention he’s a PST alumni?

Diary of a Madman, Nicolai Gogol (adapted by David Holman), BAM Harvey Theater
-Geoffrey Rush delivered a performance for the ages. The very simple story of one lonely clerk slowly losing his mind was performed with delicate subtlety. There was one moment, when in a state of hallucination, Rush’s Poprischin imagined himself to be a grasshopper… and for about 5 seconds, I actually believed he was one. A true bit of magic.

Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth, Music Box Theatre
-Long? Yes. Lacking a bit of action and conflict? Sure. But one cannot deny that Mark Rylance gave one of the marquee performances of the season as Johnny Byron. And the final 10 minutes will never be forgotten by anyone who saw the show. Plus, how awesome was his Tony acceptance speech??!!

Mojo, Jez Butterworth, Zoo
-Two Butterworth plays in a row?? Well, this one was a student production I saw at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A fast paced gangster drama complete with pill popping psychopaths, a scimitar, and tons of blood. Reservoir Dogs meets Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. I loved every second of it.

Nature of Captivity, Matthew Paul Olmos, Mabou Mines
-Olmos is a very special talent, and I’m not just saying that because he has teamed up with PST for the 2012 season. I saw this play in three different stages of development, which is always great when watching a masterpiece grow. The story of three beings whose land has been invaded by others, it tells the story of fear, love and family in the midst of a genocide. That is, until the second act when the p.o.v. turns to the Occupiers themselves. I won’t ruin the twists, suffice to say that Olmos has a big year ahead of him.

Radio Play, Reggie Watts & Tommy Smith, PS122
-Known for his stand-up comedy and musical ingenuity, Watts decided to take his talents to the stage in 2011. He created a multi-media sound-scape production that resembled the turning of a radio dial… except the radio stations found only exist in this Avante Garde’s head.

2401 Objects, Hannah Barker, Lewis Hetherington & Liam Jarvis, Pleasance Courtyard
-Probably the best thing I saw at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 2401 told the true story of a man who, because of an experimental surgery, lost all short-term memory; never being able to retain more than 30 seconds worth of memories. Using only 3 actors to play all the roles, one rotating full stage scrim, and some amazing and innovative video techniques; every person who saw the show said the same thing: “I could have easily watched another hour”. How often do you hear that about theater?