Lawrence.com

The theater is exciting in that, unlike movies � which mostly hover near mediocrity � there is too much good material out there waiting to be performed onstage. Between show-stopping musicals, classic plays and independent new works, there is usually something happening in the area to get pumped about. And because most theater venues play to smaller crowds, they can get away with concentrating on a specific genre, or providing an interesting mix of shows, and still put enough bodies in the seats to break even. That means they can usually take more creative risks.

But this seemed to be the year when everything was too neatly organized, with certain houses providing standard fare, independents trying new works and no one doing anything terribly exciting. There were some exceptions � with a local Lawrence playwright winning national honors, a Kansas City theater still pushing the envelope and a steadfast college program going by the wayside. But if Don Knotts shows up one more time in Kansas City, there will probably be a mutinous backlash against bad dinner theater. Actually, that rally is long overdue.

Hopefully, 2002 will be better and brighter. Until then, here are a few awards to honor theatrical events in the Topeka-Lawrence-Kansas City trifecta:

l The Scaredy-Cat Award: Topeka theater audiences. The 30-year-old rock opera "Tommy" was viewed as too much a risk to stage in town � so the 50-year-old "Oklahoma" was substituted. If you're thinking of a night of eclectic, edgy theater, don't think Topeka.

l The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Award: Philip blue owl Hooser. He writes kids' plays for the Coterie Theatre by day and transvestite parodies like "Shocktopussy" by night. Need I say more?

l Most Welcome Addition Award: Peter Altman, the new artistic director at Missouri Repertory Theatre. With years of East Coast experience, he brings a fresh vision to an already stellar program.

l The Cutting-Your-Own-Throat Award: Kansas University. By bringing in lavish traveling musicals in its Lied Center "Broadway and Beyond" series, the university makes money. But in the process it pulls audiences from student-programs at Murphy Hall. For the first time in 20 years, KU shut down its summer theater program, and scaled back its student-directed productions to mere workshops. Now it's also losing money. Go figure.

� Most Discouraging Trend: Only independents really tried new work or really edgy stuff (exception: Unicorn Theatre). Unfortunately, both usually bombed.

� Most Encouraging Trend: I don't think either Don Knotts or Jamie Farr were actually in KC this year. Or maybe I just blocked them out my mind.

� Play Most In Danger Of Being Overdone: It's a tie: "Stop Kiss" and "The Vagina Monologues."

� Most Overdone Musical: "Phantom of the Opera" played the Music Hall. What a big freakin' surprise that was. I'm starting to root for the falling chandelier to wing someone onstage in the next go-round.

� Worst Play Ever Performed In The Region: The New Theatre's "Lumber Jacks in Love." It's about turn-of-the-century gals who want to pass themselves off as male lumberjacks, and then they become smitten with the real male lumberjacks. This play was much better when it was originally staged as "Victor/Victoria."

� The John Ashcroft Biggest Prude Award: Michael Kline, an inspector with the Division of Regulating Industry. Kline shut down Kansas City playwright David Ollington's "Resistance," because Ollington was semi-naked onstage. Has Kline ever seen a show at the Missouri Rep? Or the Unicorn? Or the Lawrence Arts Center?

� The Better-Than-You-Think Award: Lawrence Community Theatre. The ensemble has a deep talent pool, with many college and professionally trained personnel on hand. I've yet to see any bad shows, or "Waiting for Guffman"-like personas.

� Best Actor: Jerry Mitchell, a Lawrence thespian noted for roles with the Seem-To-Be-Players and Cardtable Theatre. Mitchell will be the first to tell you he's not up to doing Strindberg anytime soon, but he has great comic timing, and something most actors can never achieve: real stage presence. When he's onstage, audiences pay attention. Runner-up: KU's Matt Hislope, who is currently doing the one-man show, "The Fever" ... in people's living rooms.

� Best Actress: Cheryl Weaver, a Lawrence native who is a fixture on the Kansas City scene. This year she went from playing the brittle loverin Unicorn Theatre's production of "Closer," to "Social Security" with Michael ("The Waltons") Learned at the New Theatre to Ma Ingalls in Coterie Theatre's "Little House by the Shores of Silver Lake." Either she's a chameleon, or she has a multiple-personality disorder. I'm betting it's the former.

� Best Theatre: Unicorn Theatre. With "Closer," "BecauseHeCan" and "Fuddy Meers," the venue hit the right balance of cutting-edge but not over-the-edge productions.

� Best Play: "Bunnies," by Michael O'Brien. Granted, the one-act originally kicked off in 2000, but it had its main run this spring. It's not "King Lear," but it is a surprisingly witty, smooth tale based around the premise that Playboy-founder Hugh Hefner is the biggest doofus on earth. And it was one of six original works performed at the American College Theatre Festival held at the prestigious Kennedy Center. It plays the banter back-and-forth game like a heterosexual version of "Will and Grace" � which is good news for O'Brien, who has a great potential career as a sitcom writer.

� Best Musical: None. Zip. Nada. From LCT's "Hello, Dolly," to the Lied Center's "My Fair Lady," the emphasis was on the safe and traditional. How safe? Fred Phelps didn't even bother to picket some of the shows. Now that's just sad.

� Most controversial company: Cardtable Theatre. You just never know what these guys have planned. From bawdy musical numbers to semi-nude actresses to dirty-mouthed puppet shows, the cast always has in-your-face material. They are Phelps' worst nightmare in the flesh.