There are many rewards that come with this job. Many are mixed blessings. Anyone who loves theater might agree that getting comped to just about every show in town would be a great reward. Not so much. It’s like dangling a bag of cocaine in front of an addict; it’s hard to say no even when we know it’s bad for us. So we end up over-indulging. Another reward you might think is nifty is being paid to see theater. And yes, the copious cash flow from Windy City Times does make life grand, but we don’t really get paid to see theater; we get paid to review it, which means lots of nights away from home and a lot of bleary-eyed hours in front of a computer screen, which brings us back to mixed blessings.

No, the real reward of being a theater reviewer is when a director, playwright, creative team, and an ensemble all come together to create magic. The real reward is sitting in a darkened auditorium, blank notebook on my lap, pen forgotten in my hand, while I sit spellbound, watching art come to life.

That’s why I do it. Here are 10 plays from 2005 that un-mix the blessings of being a reviewer. These are all productions that made me forget that I was reviewing and remember the joy of what it’s like to be an audience member. My list is in alphabetical order.

1. At Last: A Tribute to Etta James—Black Ensemble Theater had one of its finest musical biographies on its hands with this intriguing portrait of rhythm and blues songstress James, using the conceit of having five different Ettas on stage at the same time to represent different stages of the singer’s life. Powerhouse vocals and a small, but mighty, band made this show pure, toe-tapping joy.

2. The Bad Seed—Camp humor at its finest. In Cornservatory’s musical drag-deconstruction of the 1950s potboiler about a sweet little girl with terrific penmanship and a taste for murder, they captured the mood of the film perfectly while taking it way, way over the top, with hilarious results.

3. Crave and 4.48 Psychosis—Even though these two stand-out productions were done by different theater companies ( the side project and the Hypocrites, respectively ) , they were both stellar examples of the tragic, poetic world of the late playwright, Sarah Kane, who committed suicide at age 28. Deep, demanding, and terrifying, these works brought home the intense pain that just living can sometimes inspire.

4. Death of a Salesman—The Hypocrites, and director Sean Graney, continued to prove they are one of Chicago’s best emerging theater companies with this inspired and spot-on production of Arthur Miller’s classic take on the American dream.

5. Dollhouse—Rebecca Gilman wrote a winning adaptation of Ibsen’s masterpiece with this Chicago-set, 1980s period piece. The Goodman’s production was flawless and gave new resonance to this early pro-feminist masterpiece, injecting it with humor and pathos and making it accessible to modern audiences.

6. Orpheus Descending—With electrifying performances by Carmen Roman and Steve Key, American Theater Company produced one of its finest efforts to date. Director Damon Kiely brought Tennessee William’s humid take on love, lust, and loss to powerful and unforgettable life.

7. The Pain and the Itch—The Steppenwolf continued to stage the disturbing, thought-provoking, and bitterly funny work of gifted playwright Bruce Norris. Norris’ portrait of a family’s secrets exploding ( at holiday time ) was a giddy roller-coaster ride of sublimely dark humor.

8. Spamalot—Before it became a Broadway smash, it was here, with its original triumvirate: Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, and Hank Azaria ( plus show-stopping vocal turns by Sara Ramirez ) . This take on Monty Python’s Holy Grail did what so many marketing savvy producers seek to do: adapt a hit and make it better.

9. Take Me Out—About Face staged Richard Greenburg’s witty and sharp ( and Tony award-winning ) look at coming out of the closet in the baseball big leagues at Steppenwolf. The production was a home run on all counts: great story line, thought-provoking themes, and oh well, I’ll say it, eye-popping eye candy.

10. Much Ado About Nothing—Chicago Shakespeare Theater welcomed Canadian director Marti Maraden to its stage for the first time and she delivered with a dazzling interpretation of one of the Bard’s finest and most complex comedies.

I’m already anticipating 2006 with bated breath: more Bruce Norris at Steppenwolf, the Hypocrites’ production of Angels in America, Mary Zimmerman’s take on Pericles at the Goodman … the list goes on, but the column inches do not. Here’s to blank notebooks, uncapped pens, and the joy of reviewing theater.

At: Black Ensemble Th., 4520 N. Beacon

Phone: ( 773 ) 769-4451; $35

Runs through: open run

“Etta James. Etta James. Etta James. I loves me some Etta James.” And so will you ( if you don’t already ) when you witness Jackie Taylor’s musical biography triumph of the powerhouse singer. The line above is a signature, used throughout Taylor’s crafty and wise portrait of the woman who wrestled with serious demons ( abuse, neglect, drug addiction, and more ) while churning out an astounding body of musical work that spanned decades and included R&B, blues, jazz, gospel, and rock and roll. Musical biographies ( read: revues ) are often a cumbersome affair, linking a set of hits with tidbits from the artist’s life to try and capture something elusive and ethereal. Often, the links between songs sound like a school report. Not here. Jackie Taylor surprises and enthralls with her portrait of James. Taylor made the inspired decision to have not one, not two, but five Etta James on stage at the same time ( wonderful shorthand for demonstrating psychological complexity and what the span of years can do to a person physically and emotionally ) . Not only does this stroke of brilliance showcase the complexity of a tortured artist’s psyche, it also allows for some real dramatic conflict as the various versions of James argue, tease, and sympathize with one another.

Tying it all together is a drag queen ( Ms. Real, in a perfectly modulated, perfectly sassy turn from Rueben D. Echoles ) , who—with a firm, but loving hand—keeps the girls on track and sensitively leads them to conclusions about themselves and their self-worth. It’s a risky device, but it works here, drawing us in and painting a complex and riveting portrait at the same time.

While it’s interesting to hear about Etta James and her rise to fame ( she was a child gospel prodigy at five, and won just about every musical tribute and award there is to be had throughout her long and platinum career ) ; and it’s interesting to hear how a woman who was an icon of popular music couldn’t find love ( except in the latter part of her life ) and had problems with substance abuse, what really makes this show sing is, well, the songs.

Fortunately for Taylor ( and more importantly, for the audience ) , we have five absolutely amazing voices to thrill and touch us. When this show rocks, it’s hard to sit still. In fact, if you can sit still, you better check your pulse. France Jean-Baptiste, Desla Epison, Dawn Mitchell, Carrie, and Melanie McCullough are not only gifted actresses; they are dynamite in interpretation and vocal pyrotechnics ( James knew how to belt out a song ) . We’re treated to about two dozen songs over the course of the show, and every one of them is a slam dunk.

At last, Jackie Taylor and her fine ensemble have brought us a musical portrait worth taking notice of. Jackie Taylor’s spell was cast … and here we are in heaven, at last.