January 3, 2003:

Vigil

1. Hyde Park Theatre's Vigil, with Ken Webster carrying two hours, Lana Dieterich supporting every moment, and a luminous and utterly humorous script by Morris Panych.

2. Rich Little proving himself, after all these years, to still be an utter master of mimicry in The Presidents at the Paramount.

3. Julia M. Smith doing a mean number on Michael Stipe in Refraction Arts' Celebrity Crush.

4. Amanda Hebert as the quintessential Catholic nun in Late Nite Catechism at the State Theater.

5. Greg Gondek's utterly entertaining turn in The Bedlam Faction's Romulus.

6. Richard Craig and Lana Dieterich (here she is again) in Onstage Theatre Company's The Gin Game.

7. Rosalie Tenseth as Mae West in the Zachary Scott Theatre Center's Dirty Blonde.

8. Practically everyone else in Celebrity Crush, but particularly Lowell Bartholomee, Ron Berry, Brandon Crow, Lana Dieterich (this woman is everywhere), and Robert S. Fisher.

9. Pro Arts Collective's moving production of Athol Fugard's "Master Harold" -- and the Boys.

10. Douglas Taylor appearing in anything, anytime, anywhere, but particularly with Judson L. Jones in Refraction Arts and Bayou Radio's Blah! Blah! Blah!