The Best of the Decade 2010-19: My Favorite Solo Theatrical Performances

Following My Favorite New Musicals of the decade and My Favorite New Plays of the decade, this third Theater category is a bit odd.

Some of the Solo Theatrical Performances I selected below--or considered--were plays, just starring a single person. But I decided to loop them into this field.

My top pick below is a musician, but I'm not considering solo concerts, only shows done in a theatrical vein.

Others are quite comical and even starring comedians, but I'm not including stand-up comedy performances.

Again, however can be delineated, and sometimes imperfectly, these--and any work I considered eligible--were individual theatrical performances.

Some were memoirs written by the performer. Some were biographical, in which the star embodied a noteworthy figure, perhaps even writing the show. As noted, some were essentially plays with just one star (though possibly multiple characters).

But--to phrase it slightly differently and counting only performances I saw live--these were the:

The Best One-Person Shows of the Decade

1. Springsteen on Broadway - written & performed by Bruce Springsteen

2. Every Brilliant Thing - written by Duncan Macmillan; starring Rebecca Spence; Windy City Playhouse

3. Liberty City - written by April Yvette; starring Dionne Addis; Fleetwood-Jourdain Theater

4. Wiesenthal - written & performed by Tom Dugan

5. Pamplona - written by Jim McGrath; starring Stacy Keach; Goodman Theatre

6. Latin History for Morons - written & performed by John Leguizamo

7. Churchill - written & performed by Ronald Keaton

8. Until the Flood - written & performed by Dael Orlandersmith; Goodman Theatre

9. A Map of Myself - written & performed by Sara Abou Rashed

10. Wishful Drinking - written & performed by Carrie Fisher

11. Buyer & Cellar - written by Jonathan Tolins; starring Michael Urie

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order)

Hemingway's Hot Havana - written & performed by Brian Gordon Sinclair
Lady in Denmark - written by Dael Orlandersmith; starring Linda Gehringer; Goodman Theatre
Long Story Short - written & performed by Colin Quinn
Unveiled - written & performed by Rohina Malik
Why Not Me: A Sammy Davis Jr. Story - written by Tim Rhoze; starring Sean Blake

I did not include links to my reviews of these shows, but you should be able to find most using the Search Box.