The show's real subject by now is its own endurance: one actress has played the same psychiatrist for close to four decades, missing a famously tiny number of performances, in a small Midtown room that has outlasted almost every Broadway house around it. The mystery is a twisty, old-fashioned whodunit with a body, an inspector and a lot of misdirection. A New York institution hiding in plain sight.
What to expect
A small Midtown theater with a single interior set, a cast of five and a plot that keeps re-cutting who you believe. Roughly two hours with an intermission, played straight rather than winking at its own longevity. Expect an audience that skews tourist and a room intimate enough to see every reaction on stage.
Good to know
- The Theater Center is at 1627 Broadway at 50th Street — 1 to 50th St or N/Q/R/W to 49th St
- The theater is upstairs in the building; allow a few extra minutes to find the entrance
- The room is small, so there is no genuinely bad seat
- Runs about two hours with one intermission
- Contains a murder plot and gunplay but nothing graphic
- Suits mystery readers and anyone curious about the city's longest-running production
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Common questions
How long has this been running?
Continuously since 1987, which makes it the longest-running play in New York history.
Has the lead really been the same actress the whole time?
Catherine Russell has played the central role since the production opened, with a famously small number of missed performances.
Is it scary?
No — it is a classic stage whodunit built on plot twists rather than shocks.
