1. Very Little Theatre, 2350 Hilyard St., 541-344-7751, TheVlt.com.

2. Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 194 W. Broadway, 541-465-1506, OCTheatre.org.

3. Cottage Theatre, 700 Village Dr., Cottage Grove, 541-942-8001, CottageTheatre.org.

Local theater in and around Eugene is so good that this is a tight race. Very Little Theatre may have an edge because its roots go deeper into local history than anyone else’s. It was founded in 1929, right before the stock market crashed, launching the Great Depression, and has been bringing serious drama and bright comedy into people’s lives ever since.