Line

Schedule	Buy Tickets
Ongoing	Fri-Sat, 9:30pm

Profile

This off-off-Broadway revival of Israel Horovitz’s absurdist comedy—which has played uninterruptedly since January 1974—is currently the longest-running show in New York City. A kind of poor man’s Waiting for Godot, Horovitz’s one-act is basically an extended comedy sketch about five schlemiels conniving and conspiring to get to the front of the line despite never ascertaining what they're waiting for. As a critique of the unchecked competitive spirit, the script may still have a point to make but this overextended production muddies any comic message with amateurish acting that places inadvertant emphasis on a misogynist subplot. (The lone female character must screw each man to temporarily attain first place in line. What the fuck indeed.) You get the feeling that Line forges on not because of its timelessness or even as a showcase of young talent but because it’s been around so long that it doesn’t know how to stop. A part of New York’s theater history? Unquestionably. An important part? Highly doubtful. — Drew Pisarra