American Theatre magazine compiled the Top 10 produced plays for the 2002-03 season nationally in its October season preview issue, and Cincinnati is hardly missing a thing:

1 - Broadway hit Proof. Two of its 29 productions are in Southwestern Ohio, at Playhouse in the Park and Human Race in Dayton.

2 - Dirty Blonde, which has already been produced by Playhouse in the Park and Human Race. It will have 15 productions elsewhere.

3 - Copenhagen, coming to Ensemble.

4 - Fully Committed has already played at Ensemble.

5 - The Santaland Diaries. If you missed the David Sedaris holiday comedy last year, no problem, New Edgecliff will repeat it, this time at the Artery in Newport.

6 - The Laramie Project, dropping from No. 2 in 2001-02. (All of the top six were in the Top 10 last season, too.) Laramie played on several regional university stages last season.

7 (tie) - Bat Boy (at Human Race), The Drawer Boy and Lobby Hero.

8 (tie) - My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra (also on the list for two years and somehow overlooked by Cincinnati producers) and August Wilson's The Piano Lesson, a recent hit for the Children's Theatre.

9 ( A five-way tie with six productions each) - The Miracle Worker, The Shape of Things (coming to College-Conservatory of Music), The Spitfire Grill, The Triumph of Love (coming to Ovation) and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

10 (six-way tie with five productions each) - Ain't Misbehavin'; Hedwig and the Angry Inch (a summer hit for Ensemble); I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (a holiday hit for Playhouse); Mrs. Warren's Profession (George Bernard Shaw! How bold!); Smokey Joe's CafÈ; and Chekhov's The Three Sisters.

(By the way, Shakespeare and Scrooge would have topped the list had they been allowed to participate.)

- Jackie Demaline