The Top Ten Plays

1) Peony Pavilion

Kenneth Pai’s production of “Peony Paviliion,” which was nothing short of a kunqu revolution, premiered in the United States right here at Zellerbach Hall.

By injecting youthful vigor and fresh set design to the centuries-old Chinese opera, Pai’s production is just the champion that the otherwise under-performed and under-attended genre needs to regain the cultural prominence it lost during the Cultural Revolution.

Angie Baecker

2) King Arthur

Early this October, celebrated choreographer Mark Morris teamed up with Cal Performances for the U.S. premiere of his reinvented classic “King Arthur.” Staged at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, Morris’ interpretation removed dialogue and most of the story’s romantic plot in favor of song, dance and modern pop culture. The performance seamlessly blended Purcell’s baroque score with innovative staging and satirical choreography. The performance was exciting, elegant, and definitely one to remember.

Lauren Gallo

3) The Glass Menagerie

Rita Moreno’s stunning performance in the Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s triumphant production of “The Glass Menagerie” showcased drama at its finest. Themes such as the fragility of human nature and the pitting of illusion against reality were deftly interwoven with emphasis on dark humor, which brought a breath of fresh air to a venerated play.

Familial tragedy had never seemed so hauntingly beautiful.

Abraham Kim

4) The Typographer’s Dream

“The Typographer’s Dream” is great theater about great people whose lives usually pass beneath the sensationalistic radar of our cultural preoccupations. The impassioned descriptions of the subtleties of the everyday experiences of a typographer, a geographer and a court stenographer reveal that great romance, tragedy and drama are not restricted to the world of movie stars, but are constantly unraveling all around us.

By the end of the play, these seem like some of the most thrilling occupations around, but the true power of the play lies in its implication that nail-biting drama can be found in the lives of anyone.

Stephanie Heise

5) Colorado

“Colorado” is a deranged piece of original theatre—part social satire, part black comedy and part human story of familial dysfunction. Penned by Bay Area playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, the play made its world premiere at Impact Theatre right here in Berkeley. Featuring a cast of four brilliant comedic actors, “Colorado” is a wickedly funny look at the mechanics of a family living vicariously and searching for validation.

Alex Mohajer

6) All Wear Bowlers

If you thought Laurel and Hardy died before our generation—think again. Geoff Sobelle and Trey Lyford are bringing slapstick back with “All Wear Bowlers”, a uniquely executed and oddly scripted story of silent film characters who somehow get sucked out of film and onto the stage of a theater. The fact of the matter is that “All Wear Bowlers” is a gut-busting theatrical event. On the Berkeley Rep’s stage, eggs run amuck, surreal meets humor and old meets new. And lest you forget, everybody loves revamped vintage.

Sarah Kamshoshy

7) Jukebox Stories

“Jukebox Stories,” still running at La Val’s Subterranean, is fun and thoughtful, sincere and silly, part theater and part bingo game. The show, which features a line-up of songs and stories that changes every night, is full of improvised, fratboy-friendly theatre that’s priced for college wallets. And it comes with free chips, too!

Brandy Gamoning

8) Risk Everything/Problem Child

There’s not much left to say about the turbulent “Suburban Motel” series. At times the self-serious pseudo-noir felt a lot like that high school play from “Rushmore”, but it also channeled Tarantino’s lyrical violence often enough to make the whole endeavor feel worthwhile—particularly in the festival’s middle installment. “Risk Everything” and “Problem Child” had a couple built-in factors working in its favor (continuity between the acts; a likable protagonist), but the entire cast also got the most out of their roles, and the result was an evening that engaged the mind as effectively as the gut.

Robert Bergin

9) Passing Strange

Part rock concert, part social commentary and completely entertaining, “Passing Strange” kept audiences toe-tapping for its entire run at the Berkeley Rep. By combining raw music with sharp, culturally loaded writing, this young, black songwriter’s sex-and-drug-filled journey through Europe, transformed musical theater into something it has seldom been before: bad ass.

Carrie Laven

10) Hamlet

The thought of sitting through two-plus hours of Shakespeare can scare many a student away, but there was nothing boring about Impact Theatre's hip, modernized interpretation of Shakespeare’s most famous play earlier this spring. By retaining the original dialogue, throwing in a gun or two and scoring strong performances out of the entire cast, Impact Theatre managed to present an unforgettable romp with the bard.

Marya Gates

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