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Sometimes it was a glut of plays.

Sometimes just one.

Really, how lucky are we in Tucson?

This year, comedy lifted our spirits, musicals made us giddy, dramas made us think.

And many were so good they deserve an award 鈥� a Mac Award. Now in its 18th year, the award is named for the late Mary MacMurtrie who, through her Tucson Children鈥檚 Theatre, spent much of the last century turning local youth into actors, directors and audience members. She taught that excellence was as important as heart, honesty and intent.

These productions displayed all of those elements. Here are the contenders and the winners:

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY

• Larry Bull made the brooding Anthony in Arizona Theatre Company鈥檚 鈥淥utside Mullinger鈥� memorable.
• The character Kyle in Live Theatre Workshop鈥檚 鈥淏est Brothers鈥� has a big transition to make from a man full of resentment toward his sibling to one who can love him freely; Stephen Frankenfield did it with humor and honesty.
• John Keeney鈥檚 professor in the Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre鈥檚 鈥淭here is a Happiness That Morning Is,鈥� was wild and passionate and perfect.
• We loved Clark Andreas Ray鈥檚 slimy Hollywood director in Roadrunner Theatre鈥檚 鈥淚 Hate Hamlet.鈥�
• Taylor Rauscher was almost terrifying in his small role as the on-the-edge Ronnie with bombing on his mind in 尝罢奥鈥檚 鈥淗ouse of Blue Leaves.鈥�
• Physical actor Wolfe Bowart never spoke a word in Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 鈥淐loud Soup,鈥� but what he said was eloquent and clear.
• The Mac goes to: Steve Wood, who was charming and funny and had the audience in his hands in 尝罢奥鈥檚 production of 鈥淓very Brilliant Thing.鈥� More impressive: it was a solo show. That鈥檚 has got to be a bit scary for an actor. But it was thrilling for audiences.

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY

• Cassandra Bissell was fierce as the acid-tongued Rosemary in 础罢颁鈥檚 鈥淥utside Mullingar.鈥�
• Arlene Chico-Lugo was full of heart and fury in 础罢颁鈥檚 production of 鈥淣ative Gardens.鈥�
• Rhonda Hallquist was a complete stitch as the bossy Irish maid in 尝罢奥鈥檚 鈥淒eath by Design.鈥� In the same production, Missie Scheffman made us howl with her over-the-top actress yearning to make her husband jealous.
• Lesley Abrams changed characters 鈥� and species 鈥� with an effortlessness and loads of humor in 尝罢奥鈥檚 鈥淢iss Witherspoon.鈥�
• Shanna Brock鈥檚 wannabe actress in the dark comedy 鈥淗ouse of Blue Leaves鈥� was packed with energy and passion as she tried to woo Artie away from his ailing life to go to Hollywood with her.
• The Mac goes to: India Osborn, who excelled as the angry and very restrained professor in Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 鈥淭here is a Happiness That Morning Is.鈥� We have a hard time shaking her spot-on performance out of our heads. And that鈥檚 a good thing.

BEST DIRECTOR, COMEDY

• David Ivers infused 鈥淥utside Mullingar鈥� with a rhythmic pace and a rich atmosphere; we were planted in the middle of Ireland and invested in the lives of the tortured souls.
• MaryAnn Green found the heart and the humor in Live Theatre Workshop鈥檚 鈥淭he Effect,鈥� about drug trials gone wrong.
• Bryan Rafael Falc贸n鈥檚 direction of 鈥淭here is a Happiness That Morning Is鈥� made sure that the playwright鈥檚 take on relationships was as sharp as the comedy.
• Hank Stratton鈥檚 direction of Arizona Repertory Theatre鈥檚 鈥淭he Cripple of Inishmaan鈥� embraced the dark comedy while making the story sing.
• The Mac goes to: Sabian Trout鈥檚 direction of 鈥淓very Brilliant Thing,鈥� an intimate, humorous story about some painful subjects, was stellar. There鈥檚 just one actor in this sweet, thoughtful piece, and Trout saw to it that he embraced the audience while he told the story.

BEST COMEDY

• Arizona Theatre Company鈥檚 production of John Patrick Shanley鈥檚 鈥淥utside Mullingar鈥� reeked of Ireland and was packed with charm.
• Our laughter was constant at Live Theatre Workshop鈥檚 production of 鈥淏est Brothers鈥� by Daniel MacIvor. The story of two feuding brothers trying to bury their mom had forgiveness and family at its heart.
• 尝罢奥鈥檚 鈥淓very Brilliant Thing鈥� was a captivating one-man show that made you laugh while it touched on depression and suicide.
• Arizona Repertory Theatre staged a most impressive production of 鈥淭he Cripple of Inishmaan,鈥� Martin McDonagh鈥檚 black comedy about a young disabled man who longed to flee Ireland.
• The Mac goes to: Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre鈥檚 production of Mickle Maher鈥檚 smart 鈥淭here is a Happiness That Morning Is,鈥� about two college profs who have a very public liaison and must own up to it in their classes, was a complete hoot.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA

• Connor Griffin鈥檚 Shylock in Arizona Repertory Theatre鈥檚 鈥淭he Merchant of Venice,鈥� was, in short, remarkable. The character鈥檚 anger, anguish and thirst for revenge were all palpable and heartbreaking in his hands.
• Also in 鈥淭he Merchant of Venice,鈥� Tyler West provided much-needed laughter as the clown, Launcelot.
• Adam Denoyer鈥檚 Orpheus in Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 鈥淓urydice鈥� was a preoccupied-with-music young man whose passion for Eurydice was palpable, as was his pain when he loses her. He was just as impressive as the young father-to-be in the theater鈥檚 production of 鈥淟overs.鈥�
• Hunter Hnat gave a poignant performance as Christopher Boone, a teen with autistic-like symptoms in The Rogue鈥檚 鈥淭he Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.鈥�
• The guilt and trauma suffered by Christopher Younggren鈥檚 character in the Tucson Labyrinth Project鈥檚 鈥淒ogs of Rwanda鈥� were so deeply rooted that it was impossible not to feel the weight of a man who witnessed a genocide. He was riveting.
• The Mac goes to: Joseph McGrath, who possessed the title character in The Rogue鈥檚 鈥淕alileo.鈥� In one of his most nuanced performances, he gave us a man who comes close to being broken, but his inquisitive mind and commitment to scientific proof won鈥檛 let him break. It was thrilling and shattering.

BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA

• Marissa Salazar made the nun so real in Arizona Rep鈥檚 鈥淒oubt鈥� that we could almost feel the rulers smacking our fingers.
• Cynthia Meier, Patty Gallagher and Holly Griffith as a woman at different ages in her life were vivid in Rogue鈥檚 鈥�3 Tall Women.鈥�
• Cynthia Jeffrey portrayed a minister attempting to write a book and deal with a wayward son in Invisible Theatre鈥檚 鈥淭he Busy World is Hushed.鈥� As Hannah, she exuded a warmth and a strength and we saw the desperation and manipulation of a mother鈥檚 love, and how that love can turn to fury.
• Kathleen Cannon鈥檚 turn in the title character in Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 鈥淓urydice鈥� was willful, smart and emotionally transparent.
• In Winding Road Theater鈥檚 鈥淕ood People,鈥� Maria Caprile鈥檚 Margie, a South Boston single mother desperate for a steady source of income so she and her daughter can survive, was funny, provocative and sad.
• In that same production of 鈥淕ood People,鈥� Peg Peterson as Margie鈥檚 friend and landlady, was sometimes cruel, often thoughtless, but Peterson also showed the character鈥檚 soft side. And Toni Press-Coffman鈥檚 breathed full life into Jean.
• Bryn Booth in Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 鈥淟overs, Part 1,鈥� embraced Brian Friel鈥檚 glorious words and infused her young pregnant teen, Maggie, with an energy and an honesty.
• In The Rogue Theatre鈥檚 鈥淜ing Lear,鈥� Patty Gallagher was a wonder as Lear鈥檚 Fool, the king鈥檚 voice of reason. Gallagher gave a tenderness to the character: We sensed her loyalty to the king even while she was disappointed and terrified at what his actions had wrought.
• The Mac goes to: To-Ree-Nee Wolf in Invisible Theatre鈥檚 production of 鈥淏lack Pearl Sings!鈥� was so present, so completely immersed in the character, that there was never any doubt: That was Pearl on stage, not some actor portraying her.

BEST DIRECTOR, DRAMA

• Cynthia Meier鈥檚 direction of 鈥淕补濒颈濒别辞鈥� at the Rogue was clear, rhythmic and beautifully acted. She embraces Brecht鈥檚 plays and we are the better for it. Meier also wowed us with her creative direction of the theater鈥檚 鈥淭he Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.鈥�
• Barclay Goldsmith came out of retirement to direct The Tucson Labyrinth Project鈥檚 鈥淒ogs of Rwanda鈥� and he gave us a production that moved swiftly and was felt deeply.
• Holly Griffith鈥檚 direction of Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 鈥淭his Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing鈥� was inventive and captivating, bringing the modern-day fairy tale to vivid life. We also loved her direction of the theater鈥檚 鈥淟overs, Part 1.鈥� She shows a deep understanding of, and love for, playwright Brian Friel鈥檚 work.
• Jasmine Roth infused Something Something Theatre Company鈥檚 鈥淭he How and the Why鈥� with tension and deep contrasts, which helped make the play enthralling.
• 鈥淢r. Burns鈥� is not an easy play to do 鈥� it involves an apocalyptic event, jumps seven years between the first and second act, and is wonderfully strange. Director Claire Marie Mannle saw to it that Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 production was tight, clear and clever and moved at just the right pace.
• Susan Claassen directed Invisible Theatre鈥檚 鈥淏lack Pearl Sings鈥� with an eye toward allowing the actors the space they needed to drive the story home. As a result it had the time to seep into our hearts and take hold.
• The Mac goes to: Hank Stratton, who packed Arizona Repertory Theatre鈥檚 production of 鈥淒oubt: A Parable鈥� with suspense and passion. He pulled sophisticated performances from his UA student actors. And the pace was languid, yet the 90-minute play felt much shorter.

BEST DRAMA

• Edward Albee鈥檚 鈥淭hree Tall Women鈥� seems to get richer with time. The Rogue鈥檚 production of it delivered on all that richness. Also at The Rogue, 鈥淕补濒颈濒别辞鈥� glided across the stage, thanks to the solid acting and sharp direction.
• 鈥淏lack Pearl Sings鈥� at Invisible Theatre kept audiences mesmerized and humming as they left the theater.
• In 鈥�This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing鈥� at Scoundrel & Scamp, the heroes are all heroines, love figures in but it isn鈥檛 the point, and bravery marks the main characters, as does generosity and heart. We were utterly charmed.
• 鈥淭he How and the Why,鈥� Sarah Treem鈥檚 dense and challenging play staged by Something Something Theatre Company, kept audiences鈥� deep attention.
• Scoundrel & Scamp鈥檚 鈥淟overs, Part 1鈥� was funny, compelling and moving. And that theater鈥檚 鈥淢r. Burns鈥� is a sci-fi-ish play with a cartoon as its center 鈥� and yet this production made it feel organic and urgent.
• The Rogue鈥檚 鈥�The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time鈥� brought alive the world of an autistic teen with a large cast that embraced the theatricality of the production.
• Arizona Repertory Theatre鈥檚 production of 鈥淒oubt: A Parable鈥� showcased the impressive talent at the University of Arizona. The play about a priest who is accused of molesting a child by a nun without the proof but also without doubt, was devastating in the theater鈥檚 hands.
• The Mac goes to: The Tucson Labyrinth Project鈥檚 鈥淒ogs of Rwanda,鈥� where we were easily transported into the middle of a genocide and a journey to forgiveness. It鈥檚 an important play and this production was astounding.

BEST ACTOR, MUSICAL

• The two clowns in Winding Road鈥檚 鈥淭he Fantasticks,鈥� Eddie Diaz as The Man Who Dies and Chad Davies as The Old Actor, were downright hysterical.
• Chach Snook commanded attention as the caddish Jamie in Roadrunner鈥檚 鈥淭he Last Five Years.鈥�
• Tyler West did not sing a note or say a word as Woodstock in 尝罢奥鈥檚 鈥沦苍辞辞辫测!!!鈥� But oh, was he inventive 鈥� and quite, quite funny.
• In Arizona Theatre Company鈥檚 鈥淭he Music Man,鈥� Bill English鈥檚 transformation from an oily, scheming salesman to a man who sees a better path was seamless. And that voice. ...
• Also in 鈥淭he Music Man:鈥� Danny Scheie as the dimwitted Mayor Shinn was charged with delivering such nonsensical lines as 鈥� I couldn鈥檛 make myself any plainer if I鈥檚e a Quaker on his day off!鈥� And he did it was such gusto. We waited for him to come on stage to make us laugh.
• Tucsonan Nate Wiley made his acting debut as Winthrop in 础罢颁鈥檚 鈥淭he Music Man鈥� and he completely charmed. Watch that kid; he鈥檚 got a future on the stage.
• The Mac goes to: Matthew Osvog, who was staggeringly good as the conflicted-and-in-love supervisor in Arizona Repertory鈥檚 鈥淭he Pajama Game.鈥�

BEST ACTRESS, MUSICAL

• Elena Lucia Terry was mesmerizing as the Mute in Winding Road鈥檚 鈥淭he Fantasticks.鈥�
• Oh, the voice on Manna Nichols in 础罢颁鈥檚 鈥淭he Music Man!鈥� Her soaring soprano was matched by her subtle acting.
• Felicia P. Fields鈥� Big Mama in 础罢颁鈥檚 鈥淟ow Down Dirty Blues鈥� commanded the stage and owned every note she sang.
• Jodi Darling made palpable her character鈥檚 heartbreak in Roadrunner鈥檚 鈥淭he Last Five Years.鈥�
• Adia Bell, the sassy nun in Arizona Rep鈥檚 鈥淪ister Act,鈥� owned the stage.
• Liz Cracchiolo belted out ABBA tunes with an expertise in Arizona Onstage Productions鈥� 鈥淢amma Mia.鈥�
• The Mac goes to: Peggy O鈥機onnell who played the Irish mother of Marian and Winthrop in 鈥淭he Music Man.鈥� She was so deeply rooted and just so wonderful. We could watch her forever.

BEST DIRECTOR, MUSICAL

• 鈥沦苍辞辞辫测!!!鈥� should not be as fun as the Live Theatre Workshop made it 鈥� it鈥檚 a thoroughly silly piece. But director Samantha Cormier gave us a play packed with humor and set at a pace that was so fast you didn鈥檛 notice that the play was so thin.
• Christie Kerr upped the physical humor, had seamless scene changes, and never let the action lag in Arizona Rep鈥檚 鈥淪ister Act.鈥�
• Maria Caprile directed Winding Road Theater鈥檚 鈥淭he Fantasticks鈥� with gleeful abandon.
• Danny Gurwin鈥檚 visual cartoonish take on the Arizona Repertory Theatre鈥檚 鈥淭he Pajama Game鈥� dulled the impact it might have with a #MeToo generation. And he coaxed impressive performances from his student actors.
• The Mac goes to: David Ivers, who corraled a cast of 30 and took us back to River City, Iowa, in 础罢颁鈥檚 鈥淭he Music Man.鈥� The musical practically vibrated with expertise and feel-good energy.

BEST MUSICAL

• For some reason, 鈥淭he Fantasticks鈥� never gets old, and Winding Road Theater Ensemble鈥檚 heartfelt production reminded us why.
• 础罢颁鈥檚 鈥淟ow Down Dirty Blues鈥� was more a concert than a play, but oh what a concert; packed with gritty blues and moving spirituals, all sung with deep soul and expertise.
• 鈥沦苍辞辞辫测!!!鈥� at LTW is not a great play, but the cast made it great fun.
• 鈥淕utenberg! The Musical鈥� is a totally ridiculous piece sort of about the man who invented the printing press. Brothers Carson and Tyler Wright mounted a production that kept the audience in stitches.
• The Mac goes to: 鈥淭he Music Man,鈥� the ultimate feel-good musical with songs that stick and a story of transformation for a town and its people. 础罢颁鈥檚 production wowed us with the expertise, the sets and its incorporation of so many talented people with ties to our state. It takes the Mac.

SPECIAL AWARD

• Borderlands Theater has abandoned the traditional theater format and is producing site-specific works, as it did in 鈥淪anctuary,鈥� staged at Southside Presbyterian Church, where the Sanctuary Movement began in the early 1980s, and the powerful, art-rich Barrio Anita project, which took over that tiny neighborhood. The company is doing exciting, important work.