The Babylon Line

See it if you are a fan of Graff's. There is some mystery and it has some funny vignettes. It's cute.

Don't see it if writing meanders aimlessly in the first act to have some cute ex-machina sense made out of it at the very end. Acting is severely uneven.

Also The chemistry between the main characters is virtually non-existent. The "seduction" scenes fall shockingly baffling and embarrassing.... Read more Read less

See it if It's entertaining enough, w/ some amusing and funny moments. Randy Graff is superb and steals every moment she has - a total joy to watch.

Don't see it if The pacing at times tends to drag. One of the actors was either miscast or poorly directed and unfortunately the show suffers because of it

See it if You want to see great acting in a well-crafted, character play. You enjoy slice-of-life dramas.

Don't see it if You want a play with a lot of action or that has a big event.

See it if You want to see excellent acting in a play taking place in Long Island in 1967.

Don't see it if You'd prefer to see a musical. This is an entertaining play but quiet at times and serious. Lots of laughs too though!

Also The play takes place in Levittown, Long Island in 1967 in an adult ed writing class. It is a memory play told by the teacher.... Read more Read less

See it if Top notch actors playing students in the adult writing class in Long Island. See their quirks & how they get along with each other.

Don't see it if Last 30 minutes has "dream sequence" alternate ending which is confusing and meanders. Cut the last 30 minutes. Show runs 2 hours 20 min.

See it if you like Jewish stereotypes you may have known as a kid; funny one liners; a story that goes nowhere, even on the Babylon Line.

Don't see it if you want an interesting, well edited play; you want all your actors to be well directed; you prefer the audience around you to stay awake.

Also I am usually a big fan of Richard Greenberg. In this case, I found the play and the direction to be inconsistent and disappointing. Why did Elizabeth Reaser talk like a Tennessee Williams femme fatale with a breathy, terrible southern accent? Where were the editors who could have easily cut out the last 20 minutes of the play? There was potential here - it's a shame it did not evolve into the play it could have been.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a huge Richard Greenberg fan. You are a huge fan of any of the actors. You enjoy plays set on L.I.

Don't see it if Slow-moving dramadies are not your thing. You want to feel that the play has given you something interesting and/or unusual to talk about.

See it if A cast of fine actors keep this afloat. It's helpful if you know Long Island and the late '60's, but it's solid, funny, some parts great.

Don't see it if Don't want to work a little hard to have it make sense. You have to be willing to listen and forgive some stereotypes. One false ending.

See it if you are interested in suburban lives and who is taking night school writing classes to pass the time; Josh Radnor is the teacher.

Don't see it if you do not care about suburbia and their trivial problems;you have never ridden on the LIRR;stereotypes bother you

Also This play has a lot of cliches in it. It mentions a lot of stereotypes about suburban residents. The actors have exaggerated personalities which develop during the course of the play. Not everything is as wonderful as it first seems. Some of the classmates are gifted writers, and some are just passing the time.... Read more Read less

See it if you grew up on Long Island and enjoy reliving the experience; you are interested in catty women and their picking at each other.

Don't see it if none of the above interests you; you can put up with one actress who is clearly wrong for the part and has an annoying voice.

Also Amusing portrayal of the Long Island accents and Levittown in the '60's, women's roles and perceptions in that era. One actress ruined it for me.... Read more Read less

See it if LI hausfraus and neighborhood weirdos in a creative writing class with Radnor as flummoxed teacher The result is unexpected and satisfying.

Don't see it if First act is pretty slow. Reaser is mystifying. Oberholtzer makes the most of 3 small parts. Graff, Halston, Corman & Wood are hilarious

See it if A nostalgic look back at a certain place in time from Long Island. Randy Graffand Frank Wood steal the show. Funny.

Don't see it if If you're not familiar with LI in the '60s, you might not get the references. I found Elizabeth Reaser annoying.

See it if enjoy funny repartee from a seasoned playwright delivered by a well directed cast

Don't see it if you don't care for trite references to literature delivered by a cast telling a fable

See it if You don't mind being able to figure the plot points early, want some decent acting, and to laugh- I was pleasantly surprised to laugh often

Don't see it if You want depth, for a story to slowly reveal, or a profound experience

See it if you like Richard Greenberg's writing, but this piece is more unevenly written usual. Josh Radnor nice performance. Randy Graff's wonderful.

Don't see it if you want to see Elizabeth Reaser acting like she's a Tennessee William's vamp. Doesn't work for the character or the play.

Also I was excited to see this show. I'm a fan of the writer, but this is my least favorite of the 4 works I've seen. It's odd that it opens with Josh Radnor telling the story in flashback as an 87 year old man, but the director uses Radnor not a voice over, and it takes a minute to reorient yourself and stop thinking "Why didn't he use an older actor or a voice over" Then as we are introduced to the "Sisterhood" group who could not get into other classes, again my interest was peaked, only to be let down by the over dramatic vamping of a "southern" loaner, played by Elizabeth Reaser.
Without believing the relationship between Radnor and Reaser, many of the scenes fall flat. - And I personally didn't need each character to have an epilogue to wrap the story in a neat bow. I hope to see another Greenberg script mounted soon, but this one I wouldn't recommend.
Randy Graff's performance makes the show worth the time. Her performance it tony worthy.... Read more Read less

See it if You are a fan of Richard Greenberg -- don't miss the self-homage in act II. Julie Halston and Randy Graff are the real stars here.

Don't see it if You need real meat on the bones of your theatrical experience.

See it if You want to experience a very original and creative play by the talented Richard Greenberg. Excellent cast and performances,esp.Reaser&Graff

Don't see it if You prefer straight forward,step by step plots.It is a quirky and unusual play and may not be for everyone's tastes

See it if you like long winded plays about nothing. A night school writing class where the participants care more about gossiping about each other

Don't see it if you want to see an exciting, well crafted play with a great story and riveting acting.

See it if You like Richard Greenberg. You appreciate Julie Halston. You wonder about life in a community like Levittown. Surprise circular ending.

Don't see it if You have to pay full price. You appreciate more high minded theater.

See it if You like Greenberg's work and have the patience for his less than excellent writing. Interesting character development and wonderful cast.

Don't see it if Jewish stereotypes offend you. Poorly resolved story lines frustrate you.

See it if Strangely lyrical but formless exploration into the lives of Levittown conformists set in an adult ed class;ambitious but falls short

Don't see it if You don't appreciate what Levittown meant in 1967 & can't work through a great ensemble cast dealing with material that doesn't always work

See it if The suburban middle class gathering setup belies the rich character studies created by Greenberg and imaginative staging by Kinney

Don't see it if <spoiler> there is a line that suggests a link to another Greenberg play - the thought of a trilogy took me out for 1 minute

See it if You don't mind side characters overshadowing leads since Graff and Halston were the standouts of the show. Or you're a Greenberg completist.

Don't see it if You're looking for interesting set design because everything is pretty stagnant and the story doesn't live up to the writing or acting.

See it if you want to see a play with an unusual structure with a message that can be interpreted in several ways

Don't see it if you don't want to be challenged as a theatergoer

See it if you enjoy good writing, interesting situations and characters, and an unpredictable plot line, even if the play is too long.

Don't see it if you are allergic to actresses who substitute mannerisms for truthful human behavior. Just one can undermine everyone else's work!