It's been a tumultuous year, to put it mildly. Theatrically, Denver shone as the host of the National Performing Arts Convention and, at the same time, Theatre Communications Group. Conventioneers missed most of the year's best fare, though, as this top 10 list shows.

one

Lydia: For the second year in a row, Denver Center Theatre Company hit a home run with one of its world premieres. Octavio Solis' family drama depicted the border as a place where people live lives of humor, desperation and passion.

two

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui: Two images from this Countdown to Zero production will remain etched in my memory: the hanging industrial bulbs that light scenes as they are pulled on and off, and the white, placidly evil face of Josh Hartwell as the title character. Brecht's tale of gangster as fascist was chilling and endlessly fascinating to watch.

three

The House of Blue Leaves: John Guare's 1971 work left some Arvada Center audiences perplexed, but for those who weren't, it was an enthralling, emotionally devastating production lined with stellar performances. Absurdity abounds in this tale of a family gone awry, but the sentiments beneath it are heartily realistic.

four

Glengarry Glen Ross: Denver Center Theatre Company showed its prescience by staging this 25-year-old play about hardscrabble real estate men desperate for a sale. The cast expertly negotiated David Mamet's rhythms and his tension at a time when the themes held renewed resonance.

five

Speech & Debate: Sharp contemporary comedies are a rare thing, but Curious Theatre honed in on Stephen Karam's smart tale of high-school misfits out to expose a scandal and barely masking their own pain with outward jadedness. A spot-on cast and precise comic tone made it one of the fall's brightest spots.

six

Side Show: A revival of PHAMALY's biggest hit proved wise. The musical about conjoined sisters turned minor celebrities was a perfect fit for the company, which threw disability and our feelings about it in the audience's faces at the same time that it entertained.

seven

Godspell: A contemporary tent revival took place in the Quonset hut theater of the Aurora Fox. A youthful, beautifully voiced cast spun parables while delivering the tuneful Stephen Schwartz score in a way that charmed both children and adults.

eight

The Producers: Not only did Boulder's Dinner Theatre stay true to Mel Brooks' crass, hilarious and often raunchy Broadway smash, but it frequently mined new yuks from the love story between an amoral producer and his meek protege.

nine

The Emperor Jones: The Aurora Fox took a big risk with Eugene O'Neill's nearly 90-year-old allegory of a black Caribbean dictator. One false move and racism pours across the stage. The Fox got it right, creating a dense, rhythmic fable that captivated.

ten

Girls Only: The year began with local sketch comics Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein staging their new show at the Avenue Theater. Women filled the room for a comic look at the commonalities of girlhood. There were so many of them, in fact, that Denver Center Attractions adopted the show, planning to take it from the Galleria Theatre to the nation.

bornsteinl@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5101