One of my absolute favorite things about living in NYC is the access I have to the most brilliant, rich and diverse body of live theater in the world. Everything from the grand and richly produced musicals, to off-Broadway, to off-off Broadway to workshops and grass roots theater.

This season has been one of the best in memory. I have seen some truly amazing shows. I have witnessed performances that made me laugh, tremble, think, and lose myself. Along with reading and live music, live theater is my escape, my passion, my way of connecting with other times, places, worlds, people.

Experiencing a play in particular is also a way for me of experiencing entertainment in a timeless and ancient way. It is to experience oral tradition, history and the original form of mass entertainment, in many ways unchanged for 3,000 years. I also experience this at classical concerts and through books. Its a rare and treasured thing to be able to experience by way of the stage.

Over the next few weeks I am going to write about some of the shows I have seen. Its important for me to process my thoughts on these shows and make them come alive again through my words so that I understand better what it is I experienced and have a record for me to look back on years from now.

Some of the shows I will be writing about are:

Doubt
Avenue-Q
Glen Gary - Glen Ross
12 Angry Men
Spamalot
The Caretaker
The Constant Wife
The Producers