I saw 104 theatre performances this year, counting repeats but not counting improv shows I volunteered at (about 43 of them I think).  Most of them were in Edmonton (although I also travelled to Toronto, Vancouver, Saskatoon, Red Deer, and Ryley and saw shows in all those places).  And that wasn’t even half of the available theatre here.

The best shows I saw in 2013 were Brad Fraser’s Kill Me Now, at Workshop West in September, and Collin Doyle’s Let the Light of Day Shine Through, directed by Bradley Moss at Theatre Network in the spring.   Honourable mentions would start with The Kite Runner at the Citadel.

The best student shows I saw in 2013 were The Missionary Position, the show written for the University of Alberta graduating BFA class by playwright-in-residence Greg MacArthur, Charles Mee’s Summertime done by Theatre Performance and Creation students at Red Deer College, and the Abbedam (University of Alberta student-led company) production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches.

The best musicals I saw locally were The Full Monty (Two One Way Tickets to Broadway) and Ride the Cyclone (Citadel).  I also enjoyed the Broadway touring production Book of Mormon in Toronto.

As for Fringe choices … I’m looking at my lists again and I loved so much of what I saw.  Grim & Fischer.  Rocket Sugar Factory.  RiderGirl.  Dykeopolis.  Nashville Hurricane.  Scratch.  Rent. 

My personal theatre accomplishments in 2013

• kept studying improv with Rapid Fire Theatre
• started studying acting at Foote Theatre School
• competed at the Blue Chair Cafe’s Story Slam
• served a lot of drinks and red licorice
• stage managed a Fringe show
• joined Theatre Alberta and started borrowing books from their amazing library
• joined Walterdale Theatre Associates
• was inspired by a lot of performers, directors, playwrights, arts administrators, reviewers, production crews, designers, teachers, and bigger fans than I am.

Finster Finds’ 2013 theatre retrospective is here.  I didn’t peek until after I wrote mine – it’s interesting to see where our favourites overlap, and it’s also amazing to me that there were so many good shows that she saw and I didn’t manage to get to.

What were your favourites this year?