NEW YORK (May 25, 2001) - Continuing a tradition that dates back to 1920, when Burns Mantle founded the annual Best Plays theater yearbook, the Best Plays of 2000–2001 were announced today by editor Jeffrey Eric Jenkins.

For the current edition, the annual chronicle of United States theater honors ten dramatic works. In addition to the Best Plays of 2000–2001, the book will also continue to honor regional plays cited by the American Theatre Critics Association in the American Theatre Critics/Steinberg New Play Awards and Citations competition, and will provide a compendium of facts and figures about the year in theater. Continuing his six-decade relationship with Best Plays is the brilliant artist, Al Hirschfeld.

The Best Plays of 2000–2001 were chosen from Broadway, Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway productions of new plays that opened between June 1, 2000 and May 31, 2001. The choices were made by the editor after consultation with the Best Plays editorial board, which includes Robert Brustein, Tish Dace, Christine Dolen, Mel Gussow, Robert Hurwitt, John Istel, Chris Jones, Julius Novick, Michael Phillips, Christopher Rawson, Alisa Solomon, Jeffrey Sweet, Linda Winer and Charles Wright.

Each of the Best Plays of 2000–2001 will be celebrated in an essay to be published in the 2000-2001 edition of the book.

The Best Plays of 2000–2001 (in alphabetical order):

Boy Gets Girl by Rebecca Gilman (Chris Jones, essayist)

The Invention of Love by Tom Stoppard (Charles Wright, essayist)

King Hedley II by August Wilson (Christopher Rawson, essayist)

Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan (Tish Dace, essayist)

Mnemonic by Complicite (John Istel, essayist)

Nocturne by Adam Rapp (Robert Brustein, essayist)

The Play About the Baby by Edward Albee (Christine Dolen, essayist)

The Producers by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (Julius Novick, essayist)

Proof by David Auburn (Bruce Weber, essayist)

Urinetown by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollmann (Jeffrey Sweet, essayist)

Best Plays uses the Web address of www.BestPlaysOnline.com.

Mailing address:
Jeffrey Eric Jenkins
Best Plays
825 President Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215-1405
Phone: 718-789-5553
Fax: 718-789-9025
E-mail: Editor@BestPlaysOnline.com

More of Best Plays Online:

Best Plays Home Page

Jenkins Named Editor of Best Plays Series

 From the Best Plays Photo Archives

Founding Editor Burns Mantle

 Former Editor John Chapman

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