Theatre Thursday: 2010 In The Wolf's Den

2010 has been an interesting year for the One Big Bad Wolf blog. It went from being a theatre blog that was updated sporadically (and, at one point, abandoned completely) to a daily-updated blog on a variety of topics - though still predominantly focused on theatre.
Readership has increased enormously over the last year, and, while I'm never fully satisfied with any entry I've posted, I do feel like the blog is accomplishing something. What exactly that is, I couldn't say, but it is what it is.
I thought that I would take the last Theatre Thursday of the year to re-visit my some of my favorite theatre-related entries of 2010. Some of you latecomers may have missed them, and some of you long-time readers may want to refresh your memories.
Here, in no particular order, are my ten favorite entries of the last year:
Slings and Arrows, September 16: While I do enjoy writing, sometimes it's almost as much fun for me to track down interesting content on the internet and put it on this blog for you to see. In this case, I selected several video examples of actors performing Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" speech for you to compare and contrast. I'm happy to say that most of the videos still work on this one, too. (Mel Gibson has become understandably paranoid about any recordings of himself winding up on the internet.)
Why I Hate Curtain Calls, August 12: I made some people angry with this one and found myself in the middle of some interesting e-mail debates. I have to tell you, though, my opinion hasn't changed on this one. I just don't like 'em.
Safe Palate, April 18: This one also got a few people hot under the collar at me when I compared the Denver Post's season announcements for the Denver theatre community to a bland, unoriginal menu choice from a small-town restaurant where I was raised. Well, I didn't start a blog to tell people only what they wanted to hear, and, frankly, I don't mind if people get mad at me so long as they really think about why they're mad at me. "Just because" has never been a good enough reason for me, and it shouldn't be for you, either.
Why Don't You Just Act, Dear Boy? January 30: I really enjoy stage combat, though I think sometimes it should be called "staged combat," to send a subtle message to the macho idiots who want to "keep it real" on stage and film and keep injuring themselves and others. I'm not opposed to method acting, but there needs to be a line. (Also, I plug Jenn Zukowski's very cool book.)
Finding an Audience, January 22: Basically, I share some thoughts about the challenges of creating a new audience versus the dangers of pandering only to the existing audience. One of the reasons that I started this blog was to spark discussions, and I like where this discussion started to go.
What a Bunch of Yobbos, September 25: Another reason that I started this blog was as an occasional outlet for my sometimes odd sense of humor. This is another one of my rants about cell phones in theatres, and I had a little bit of fun while I was at it.

En Français, October 21: My preference for this entry is largely aesthetic. While I speculate on the next big French import to the United States, I get to share some videos of a couple of really incredible French musicals.
Yes We Ca- Oh No You Didn't, January 20: Hope, the German musical about Barack Obama. I still have nothing to say about this.
And It Moves Us All, November 4: It seems inappropriate to call this one a favorite as it surrounds the tragic passing of young Lion King performer, Shannon Tavarez, from leukemia. Shannon had been unable to find a suitable bone marrow donor. I think it's important to put a face with this disease - in Shannon's case, a very talented face - so that we can someday soon find a cure.
Images, December 16: During the controversy surrounding Alastair Macauley's review of The Nutcracker in which he took digs at a ballerina's weight, there was a lot of blame being tossed around. I felt that it was important that we take a look at our own hang-ups with body image as well. I don't think this is one of my best-written blog entries, but it was very personal, and it appears to have struck a chord. Though I wrote it less than two weeks ago, it has surpassed every other entry to become far-and-away the most-viewed entry in the history of this blog.
I hope that you have enjoyed this blog in 2010 and will stick around through 2011. I've got some new surprises in store for you.