Essays about the ten plays will be featured in the upcoming tome, the latest in the acclaimed series that dates back to 1920. Jenkins, in consultation with his editorial board — Robert Brustein, Tish Dace, Christine Dolen, Robert Hurwitt, John Istel, Chris Jones, Julius Novick, Michael Phillips, Christopher Rawson, Alisa Solomon, Jeffrey Sweet, Linda Winer and Charles Wright — chose the top-ten list from a mix of Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions. Plays up for consideration opened between June 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006. The ten plays chosen and the essayists who will write about them follow:
Grey Gardens by Doug Wright, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie (Essay by Michael Feingold)
The History Boys by Alan Bennett (Essay by Charles McNulty)
In the Continuum by Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter (Essay by Anne Marie Welsh)
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow by Rolin Jones (Essay by Charles Wright)
The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh (Essay by John Istel)
Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire (Essay by Michael Sommers)
Red Light Winter by Adam Rapp (Essay by Chris Jones)
Shining City by Conor McPherson (Essay by David Cote)
Stuff Happens by David Hare (Essay by Misha Berson)
Third by Wendy Wasserstein (Essay by Anne Cattaneo)

In addition to the plays, the 87th edition of the series also honors three regional plays and provides a collection of facts and figures about the year in American theatre.

Limelight Editions will publish "Best Plays of 2005-2006" in 2007.