A popular recap technique is the top ten "Best of" list — and becoming more common is the complementary "Worst of" lists. Most New York dailies are offering theatregoers a look back at the year on the stage, both good and bad. Some stagings — such as Taboo — are being considered on both ends of the spectrum.

The starry cast of talent in Long Day's Journey Into Night, star turns in Wonderful Town, Henry IV and Wicked as well as the lovable puppets of Avenue Q are top among most of the lists. I Am My Own Wife, The Beard of Avon, Nine and Hugh Jackman's performance in The Boy From Oz are also garnering honorable mentions.

Tony Kushner's Caroline, or Change is among the top theatre shows named — as is his screen adaptation of Angels in America, in the television category. The ill-fated Six Dance Lesson in Six Weeks seems to be the popular persona non grata as the show is a repeated entry on "Worst of" tallies.

Here's a running list of some of the year's top theatrical contenders:

New York Times critic Ben Brantley's "The Plays and Players of the Year" 1. Vanessa Redgrave in Long Day's Journey Into Night
2. Donna Murphy in Wonderful Town
3. Kevin Kline in Henry IV
4. Bernadette Peters in Gypsy
5. Tonya Pinkins in Caroline, or Change
6. Eddie Izzard in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg
7. Ned Beatty in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
8. Kristin Chenoweth in Wicked
9. Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz
10. Denis O'Hare in Take Me Out
11. Aidan Gillen in The Caretaker
12. Melanie Griffith in Chicago

New York Times critic Bruce Weber's "The Plays and Players of the Year"

1. The Classical Theater Of Harlem
2. Jefferson Mays (star of I Am My Own Wife)
3. The Beard Of Avon
4. The Moonlight Room
5. Flow
6. The Daughter-In-Law
7. Humble Boy
8. Julie White (star of Barbra's Wedding and Bad Dates)
9. Resident Theaters ("A collective nod to the nonprofit theaters around the country that make quality theater virtually impossible to escape." Mentioned: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? - Houston's Alley Theater; Julius Caesar - San Diego's Old Globe; Continental Divide - Berkeley Rep and Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and South Pacific - Washington D.C's Arena Stage)

TimeOut New York theatre editor David Cote's "The Best and Worst in Theatre 2003"

Best:
1. Long Day's Journey Into Night
2. Avenue Q
3. Gone Missing
4. Henry IV
5. Wicked
6. Hank Williams: Lost Highway
7. Aunt Dan and Lemon
8. I Am My Own Wife
9. Dublin Carol
10. Apparition

Worst:
1. Laughing Room Only
2. The Look of Love
3. Dream A Little Dream

TimeOut New York theatre writer Adam Feldman's "The Best and Worst in Theatre 2003"

Best:
1. Caroline, or Change
2. Avenue Q
3. Henry IV
4. Living Out
5. Omnium Gatherum
6. Long Day's Journey Into Night
7. I Am My Own Wife
8. Gone Missing
9. Fifth of July
10. Kiki & Herb: Coup de Théatre

Worst:
1. Henry IV, Part I (BAM)
2. Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
3. Fame on 42nd Street

Daily News critic Howard Kissel

Best: